ISLAMABAD: The country's first indigenously developed anti-COVID-19 drug C-IVIG has got approval for Phase II/III clinical trial from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
According to an official of DRAP, the authority gave approval for anti-COVID-19 drug C-IVIG developed at Dow University of Health Sciences to enter phase II/III clinical trial.
He said that the multi-centre trial will recruit 310 severe COVID-19 patients to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of the drug.
He added the Phase-I/II clinical trial report was submitted to the clinical study committee by Principal Investigator, Dr Shaukat Ali which showed 100% recovery in severe COVID-19 patients and 56.5% recovery in critical COVID-19 patients.
The committee appreciated the development of indigenous treatment and also noted that it was the first biological drug of Pakistan that had completed clinical trials registered both nationally and internationally.
The official said that the Clinical Study Committee was chaired by Dr Abdur Rasheed, Director, Division of Pharmacy Services, DRAP. He said that a virtual training on clinical trials will be arranged on April 5 by the Division of Pharmacy Services, DRAP in 57 Muslim countries with the support of COMSTECH and the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), Karachi University.
The country situation on clinical trials will be presented by Dr Abdur Rasheed. Coordinator-General, COMSTECH, Prof. Dr M. Iqbal Choudhary, and CEO DRAP will chair the session while Prof. Raza Shah and the speaker from Jordan will deliver the lecture on clinical trials in Muslim Ummah.
-DN Report
Dr Muattar Hanif
The author is Editor at Dental News Pakistan and can be reached at newsdesk@medicalnewsgroup.com.pk
