New Delhi, January 7: Drugmaker Lupin on Friday said it has launched antiviral medication Molnupiravir under the brand name Molnulup in the country for the treatment of COVID-19. Molnupiravir has been given emergency use authorisation by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for treatment of adult COVID-19 patients who have a high risk of progression of the disease, including hospitalisation.

"The approval for Molnulup is timely as India is again experiencing an upward spike in COVID-19 incidences. “In the past two years since COVID-19 has emerged, there is a need for an oral antiviral medicine that can be prescribed by the healthcare practitioners and then taken by the patients conveniently at home," Lupin President - India Region Formulations (IRF) - Rajeev Sibal said in a statement.

Through the company's strong distribution network, Molnulup would be readily made available at pharmacies pan India to meet patient demand, he added. Internationally, Molnupiravir is an oral antiviral that has been approved by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19 in adults. Molnupiravir, COVID-19 Antiviral Drug, Launched in India at Rs 1,399 For Mild to Moderate Infection.

Administered orally, Molnupiravir inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. Pre-clinical and clinical data have shown Molnupiravir to be effective against the most common SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Gamma, Delta, and Mu variants.