Chairman of AGP Pharmaceuticals, Tarek Moinuddin Khan, a Karachi-based business giant, chartered a private jet to bring the anti-viral drug that has been used to successfully treat Covid-19, called Remdesivir, from Bangladesh.
Profit Magazine reported that Khan chartered the jet in his personal capacity. He reportedly purchased 48 Remdesivir vials at a rate of USD 65/vial of Bemsivir IV Infusionfrom a local pharmaceutical company called Beximco in Dhaka. The injectibles were made for the treatment of four patients who were reportedly dealing with the virus. The infection had reached a critical stage and the four people have been getting better with the above-mentioned drug.
The report notes that the Drug and Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP), under Rule 13 of Drug (Imports & Export) Rules, 1976, said that the unregistered drug can now be imported and issued a statement confirming its import in 24 hours.
The jet plane was owned by Princely Jets (Pvt) Ltd., a private charter company based in Pakistan, that requested for special permission to take a flight through India’s airspace and land into Dhaka. The plane was supposed to bring the medicine back on the same route to Islamabad.
The drug that initially helped treat Hepatitis-C has recently been showing positive signs in treating coronavirus and is said to cure several other viral diseases too. Other respiratory diseases that have been previously treated by Remdesivir are against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and the Ebola virus. However, this is not a standard approved treatment for any of the above.
Profit Magazine reported that Khan chartered the jet in his personal capacity. He reportedly purchased 48 Remdesivir vials at a rate of USD 65/vial of Bemsivir IV Infusionfrom a local pharmaceutical company called Beximco in Dhaka. The injectibles were made for the treatment of four patients who were reportedly dealing with the virus. The infection had reached a critical stage and the four people have been getting better with the above-mentioned drug.
The report notes that the Drug and Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP), under Rule 13 of Drug (Imports & Export) Rules, 1976, said that the unregistered drug can now be imported and issued a statement confirming its import in 24 hours.
The jet plane was owned by Princely Jets (Pvt) Ltd., a private charter company based in Pakistan, that requested for special permission to take a flight through India’s airspace and land into Dhaka. The plane was supposed to bring the medicine back on the same route to Islamabad.
The drug that initially helped treat Hepatitis-C has recently been showing positive signs in treating coronavirus and is said to cure several other viral diseases too. Other respiratory diseases that have been previously treated by Remdesivir are against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and the Ebola virus. However, this is not a standard approved treatment for any of the above.