Bangladesh-based Beximco Pharmaceuticals has become the world's first company to produce a generic version of the antiviral drug remdesivir, originally developed by US-based Gilead Sciences, it was reported on Friday.
Remdesivir was originally designed as an Ebola treatment, the BBC reported.
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It works by attacking an enzyme that a virus needs in order to replicate inside our cells.
Beximco's production of the generic version will ensure quick supply of the drug to many countries in the South Asia.
A recent clinical trial in the US showed the drug helped shorten the recovery time for people who were seriously ill.
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However, it did not significantly improve survival rates. Experts have warned that the drug should not be seen as a "magic bullet" for coronavirus.
But in the absence of any clear treatment for COVID-19, many countries are willing to try remdesivir, said the BBC report.
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