While the jury is still out on dexamethasone being the new hero in the fight against COVID-19 after the hype around hydroxychloroquine has died down, Indian pharma is watching developments closely. Gains of companies like Zydus Cadila, Wockhardt, Cadila and Cipla in the domestic market will be constrained by price caps while any increase in exports will depend on emergency use authorizations.

While the jury is still out on dexamethasone being the new hero in the fight against COVID-19 after the hype around hydroxychloroquine has died down, Indian pharma is watching developments closely. Gains of companies like Zydus Cadila, Wockhardt, Cadila and Cipla in the domestic market will be constrained by price caps while any increase in exports will depend on emergency use authorizations

In a preliminary assessment of repurposed COVID-19 treatments by a government-appointed panel to assess the readiness and potential of a drug to be used in India, favipiravir and tocilizumab have emerged as front-runners. With Strides Pharma exporting the antiviral and Glenmark set to begin clinical trials, even the industry is supporting favipiravir, which is already in studies in Japan and China.