English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

US firm Gilead Sciences to expand Remdesivir availability in India, donates 4.5 lakh vials

Johanna Mercier, Chief Commercial Officer, Gilead Sciences said the recent gush of Covid-19 cases in India is having a devastating impact on communities and has created unprecedented pressure on health systems.

Published

on

US firm Gilead Sciences

As the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic grips India, the US Drug firm Gilead Sciences said it is taking several steps to expand the availability of antiviral drug Remdesivir in India and will also be donating a minimum of 4.5 lakh vials of Veklury to the Indian government.

Gilead Sciences notifies in a statement that the company is providing its voluntary licensing partners with technical assistance, support for the addition of new local manufacturing facilities and the donation of active pharmaceutical ingredients to rapidly scale up production of Remdesivir. In addition to providing support to its licences to expand their local manufacturing capacity, Gilead will also donate at least 450,000 vials of Veklury (remdesivir) to help address the immediate needs of Indian patients, the company added.

Remdesivir is approved in India for restricted emergency use for the treatment of suspected or laboratory confirmed Covid-19 in adults and children hospitalised with severe disease.

Johanna Mercier, Chief Commercial Officer, Gilead Sciences said the recent gush of Covid-19 cases in India is having a devastating impact on communities and has created unprecedented pressure on health systems. She further added that the company is committed to doing its bit to help tackle the crisis and the biopharmaceutical company’s immediate focus is to help address the needs of patients in India who may benefit from Remdesivir as quickly as it can by working together with the government, health authorities and our voluntary licensees.

Gilead Sciences on Monday said all seven of Gilead’s licensees based in India have significantly accelerated production of Remdesivir by scaling up their batch sizes, adding new manufacturing facilities and/or onboarding local contract manufacturers across the country. The seven licensees based in India include Cipla, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Hetero Labs, Jubilant Lifesciences, Mylan, Syngene and Zydus Cadila Healthcare.

To safeguard against disruption of generic Remdesivir supply to other low-and middle-income countries included as part of the voluntary licenses, The company’s planned support will include the donation of API to licensees with a view to accelerate production, it added.

In a statement it says that Gilead’s voluntary licensing program for Remdesivir, which was established in May 2020, has already enabled access to the drug for more than 2.3 million people in more than 60 low- and middle-income countries”, The program also provides long-term licenses to nine manufacturers, seven of which are based in India, to enable access to Remdesivir in 127 countries, most of which are low- and low-middle income countries, including India, it added.

Read Also: John Hopkins University study shows India accounts for 38% of global Covid-19 cases

According to the Union Health Ministry data update, with 3,23,144 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases has climbed to 1,76,36,307, while the national recovery rate has further dropped to 82.54 per cent, The number of deaths increased to 1,97,894 with 2,771 daily new fatalities.

India News

PM Modi marks Operation Sindoor anniversary, calls it India’s firm stand against terrorism

PM Modi said Operation Sindoor showcased India’s firm response against terrorism while paying tribute to the armed forces on the operation’s first anniversary.

Published

on

PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s firm response against terrorism and highlighted the country’s commitment to national security.

Marking one year of the operation, the Prime Minister praised the courage, precision and professionalism of the Indian armed forces. He said the military action was carried out in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that had claimed the lives of 26 civilians in 2025.

Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, 2025, as a calibrated tri-services operation targeting terror infrastructure linked to cross-border terrorism. Reports said the operation showcased coordinated action by the armed forces and was seen as a major counter-terror response by India.

On the anniversary of the operation, PM Modi also changed the display pictures across his social media platforms, including X, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The image carried the text “Operation Sindoor” along with the Indian tricolour design.

The Indian Air Force also shared visuals and messages recalling the operation and highlighting India’s military response. A video released by the force described the operation as a strong message against terrorism and referred to the precision strikes carried out during the mission.

Operation Sindoor was launched following the Pahalgam terror attack, after which India carried out strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, according to official statements and reports published at the time.

Continue Reading

India News

Vijay meets Tamil Nadu Governor again as TVK pushes to prove majority

TVK chief Vijay held another meeting with Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar as the party intensified efforts to secure majority support after emerging as the single-largest party in the Assembly elections.

Published

on

Actor vijay

Actor-turned-politician Vijay met Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar again on Thursday as his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), continued efforts to prove it has enough support to form the next government in the state.

TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly after winning 108 seats, but it remains short of the majority mark of 118.

The Congress has extended support to TVK, adding five MLAs to Vijay’s side. However, the alliance still needs additional backing from other parties or independents to comfortably cross the halfway mark.

According to reports, the Governor has not yet been fully convinced that TVK currently has the required numbers to form a stable government. This has delayed clarity over the swearing-in ceremony and the formal invitation to form the government.

Political activity intensified after reports emerged that some AIADMK legislators were moved to a resort in Puducherry amid speculation over possible support to TVK. AIADMK leaders, however, publicly denied any internal crisis.

TVK sources have expressed confidence that the party will be able to demonstrate majority support during discussions with the Governor.

The Tamil Nadu election results marked a major political shift in the state, with TVK breaking the long-standing dominance of the DMK and AIADMK in its first Assembly election contest.

Continue Reading

India News

PM Modi changes social media profile pictures to mark Operation Sindoor anniversary

PM Modi changed his social media profile pictures to commemorate one year of Operation Sindoor, with several NDA leaders following the move.

Published

on

PM Modi speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday updated the display pictures of his social media accounts to mark the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor. The new image was seen across his profiles on X, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp channels.

The updated profile picture carries the text “Operation Sindoor” on a black background along with elements of the Indian tricolour. One of the letters in the word “Sindoor” has been stylised using vermilion, commonly associated with married Hindu women.

Operation Sindoor was launched a year ago by Indian defence forces and the Border Security Force along the western border. The anniversary was also marked by several Union ministers and NDA leaders, who changed their social media profile pictures in a similar manner.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and other senior leaders were among those who adopted the commemorative display image on social media platforms, according to reports.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com