Hyderabad-based Hetero Labs has set the price of its basic version of remdesivir, Gilead's experimental Covid-19 drug, at Rs 5,400 ($71) per 100-milligram vial.
The company is now prepared to supply the drug to hospitals across India, Reuters reported. Hetero Labs said it would supply 20,000 vials of the drug.
The pricing announcement comes after its contemporary, Cipla Ltd, said it had priced its version of remdesivir below Rs 5,000.
Cipla and Hetero are among the listed drugmakers that have licensing agreements with US-based Gilead Sciences Inc, the original manufacturer of remdesivir, to make and sell the drug in 127 low- and middle-income countries.
Regulator, Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), has approved the generic versions made by Cipla and Hetero for restricted emergency use in severe Covid-19 cases, the Reuters report said.
The treatment was the first to show improvement in trials on Covid-19 patients and has won approval for emergency use in severely ill patients in the US and South Korea, and has received full approval in Japan. It is yet to be priced in the US.
India is in the fourth position among the nations worst-hit by the coronavirus. IT has reported 456,183 infections and 14,476 deaths as of Wednesday.