Government waives off import duty on Remdesivir till October 31

The import of Remdesivir injections, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), and specific inputs have been made import duty-free till October 31, 2021. The decision by the Government has been taken amid the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases in India.

The Ministry of Finance shared a notification on Twitter on April 20, 2021, stating that the Union Government has exempted Remdesivir API, Beta Cyclodextrin- SBEBCD which is used in the manufacture of Remdesivir- subject to the condition that the importer of Remdesivir follows the procedure set out in the Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty) Rules, 2017- and Injection Remdesivir from the whole of the duty of customs leviable on their import in India.

Govt waives import duty on Remdesivir API, injections and specific inputs. pic.twitter.com/hTymtccpW8

— Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) April 20, 2021

The Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal while sharing the news on Twitter stated that in line with PM Modi’s priority to ensure the affordable medical care of Coronavirus patients, imports of Remdesivir have been made duty free.

In line with PM @NarendraModi's priority to ensure affordable medical care for COVID-19 patients, imports of Remdesivir API, injection and specific inputs have been made import duty free. This should increase supply and reduce cost thus providing relief to patients. pic.twitter.com/F40SX8mNeS

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 20, 2021

Remdesivir for COVID-19 patients:

•  Remdesivir has been approved as an investigational therapy for those COVID-19 patients who are on oxygen and have severe and moderate symptoms.

• The Central Government has undertaken an exercise for the allocation of Remdesivir injections to the states on the basis of objective criteria.

•  Since the clinical guidance states that Remdesivir must be used in cases where the oxygen is also required, the allocation to the states has been based on the oxygen allocation carried out by the Empowered Group-2 to various states.

•  All the states and UTs have also been asked to ensure the wise use of Remdesivir, stop the hoarding or black marketing of drugs, and also facilitate the smooth inter-state supply of the medicines.

7 Pharmaceutical companies reduce prices of anti-viral drug:

•  REMDAC of Cadila healthcare Ltd which was earlier available at Rs. 2,800, has been reduced to Rs. 899

•  RemWin of Syngene International Ltd has been reduced to Rs. 2,450 from Rs. 3,950

•  REDYX of Dr. Reddy’s will be available at Rs. 2,700. Earlier it was Rs. 5,400

•  CIPREMI of Cipla Ltd can be bought at Rs. 3,000 instead of Rs. 4,000.

•  DESREM of Maylan Pharmaceutical Ltd is reduced to Rs. 3,400 instead of Rs. 4,800

•  JUBI-R of Jubilant Generics Ltd will not be available at Rs. 3,400 instead of Rs. 4,700

•  COVIFOR of Hetero healthcare Ltd will not be available at Rs. 3,490 instead of Rs. 5,400