Sun Pharma said on Thursday it is gearing up to introduce antiviral Covid-19 drug, molnupiravir as Molxvir at "an economical price" in India.

Molnupiravir, the drug of Merck Sharpe Dohme (MSD) and Ridgeback, has shown promise in the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID -19 in adults.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) is currently reviewing clinical data of molnupiravir for the treatment of COVID-19 in adults in India.

Earlier this year, Sun Pharma had signed a non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreement with MSD to manufacture and supply molnupiravir in India and to over 100 low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Kirti Ganorkar, CEO of India Business, Sun Pharma said, “The recent authorisation of molnupiravir, licensed from MSD and Ridgeback, by the UK regulator is a positive step. In line with our consistent efforts to accelerate access to new drugs for COVID-19 treatment, we are gearing up to make Molxvir available to patients and healthcare providers across India at an economical price, post approval by DCGI. Molxvir will be manufactured at one of our plants in India and we have enough capacity to meet the demand.”

(With inputs from agencies)