Chennai, June 25(BPNS)
The Defense Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) has submitted before the Madras High Court that 40 pharmaceutical companies have evinced interest in the anti-Covid -19 drug produced by it. The submission made on Friday was in response to a Public Interest Litigation complaining that DRDO had given a license to Dr. Reddy’s laboratory in Hyderabad for the production of the anti-Covid-19 drug.
The premier scientific organization of the country said that it has invited Expression of Interest to produce its D-glucose(2-DG) and adjunct drug to treat Covid -19 patients. The DRDO said that already 40 pharmaceutical companies have expressed interest in medicine.
The Additional Solicitor General R Sankaranarayanan told the second division bench of the Madras High Court comprising of Judges, Justices N. Kirubhakaran and T.V Tamilselvi that the DRDO was interested in ensuring that the drug which was developed by its Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences could be manufactured in as many quantities as possible in the shortest possible time.
The PIL filed by a Chennai native, D. Saravanan, complained that DRDO had given license to Dr. Reddy’s laboratories in Hyderabad alone for making the oral powder at a cost of Rs 990 for a sachet of 2.34 grams. The petitioner complained that the license was given to this particular company alone.
The Court also took note of a submission made by a litigant that the DRDO’s medicine was very effective and a woman Covid-19 patient with comorbidities had a magical cure after being administered with 30 sachets of the drug at a cost of Rs 30,000. The litigant said that the doctor who had treated the patient had said that he can vouch for its efficiency.
The Assistant Solicitor General, R Sankaranarayanan while appearing before the court said that the DRDO had fixed June 17 as the last date for submission of Expression of Interest and that 40 pharmaceutical companies had envisaged interest to manufacture the medicine with the DRDO knowhow. The judges reserved their verdict and directed the ASG to circulate all documents related to the case.
