India Officially Lifts Ban on Export of Hydroxychloroquine With Immediate Effect
India on Thursday officially lifted the ban of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine with Immediate effect. The Department of Pharmaceutical gave its nod for the lifting of the ban on the export of hydroxychloroquine last week.
New Delhi, June 18: India on Thursday officially lifted the ban of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine with Immediate effect. The Department of Pharmaceutical gave its nod for the lifting of the ban on the export of hydroxychloroquine last week. the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DFFT) in a notification, said, "The export policy of Hydroxychloroquine API (active pharmaceutical ingredients) and its formulations from prohibited to free with immediate effect. India had banned the export of hydroxychloroquine on March 25. HCQ was considered as a game-changer by United States President Donald Trump in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
India in April this year, sent the medicine to several countries, including The US as grants as well as on commercial basis HCQ was identified by the US Food and Drug Administration as a possible treatment for the COVID-19. India also sent HCQ to Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh Nepal, Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Steroid Dexamethasone Shows Promise in Improving Survival Rates in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: All You Need to Know About the Drug!
Indian Government's Order:
However, the World Health Organisation’s top scientist - Dr. Soumya Swaminathan – that the anti-malarial drug doesn't work in stopping deaths among people hospitalised with the new coronavirus. In the last week of May, the WHO also suspended the clinical trials of the drug. One week later, the trials were resumed. Clinical Trials of Hydroxychloroquine as COVID-19 Treatment Suspended Temporarily by WHO Over Safety Concerns.
On Wednesday, the WHO hailed a "breakthrough" steroid - dexamethasone treatment for the coronavirus, boosting hopes that pandemic deaths can be reduced. "This is great news, and I congratulate the Government of the UK, the University of Oxford, and the many hospitals and patients in the UK who have contributed to this lifesaving scientific breakthrough," reported AFP quoting WHO head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. However, he also expressed concerns over the growth of new COVID-q9 cluster in China.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 18, 2020 08:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).