NEW DELHI: The country’s top drug regulator has allowed Mumbai-based Sun Pharmaceutical to conduct clinical trial for the first phytopharmaceutical (plant based) drug AQCH to see if it can treat Covid-19 patients. Results of the trial are expected by October 2020.
AQCH, which is being developed for dengue, has shown broad antiviral effect in in vitro studies, prompting Sun Pharma to start Phase II clinical trials to test the drug as a potential treatment option for Covid-19.
Clinical trial will be conducted across 12 centres in India in 210 patients. The treatment duration for patients will be ten days, the company said.
It added the human safety study of AQCH has already been completed and the drug has been found safe at the recommended dose for Phase II study.
Dilip Shanghvi, Managing Director, Sun Pharma said, “AQCH has shown anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects in in-vitro studies conducted in collaboration with ICGEB, Italy. These results combined with information on mechanism of action through in-vitro and small animal studies give us the confidence to evaluate this potential treatment option for Covid-19 patients.”
The company has been developing the phytochemical-based drug to treat dengue for the last four years in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology and International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (DBT-ICGEB) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
The clinical trials to test the use of drug as a potential Covid-19 treatment option will be conducted by Sun Pharma in collaboration with the DBT-ICBEB and CSIR.
AQCH, which is being developed for dengue, has shown broad antiviral effect in in vitro studies, prompting Sun Pharma to start Phase II clinical trials to test the drug as a potential treatment option for Covid-19.
Clinical trial will be conducted across 12 centres in India in 210 patients. The treatment duration for patients will be ten days, the company said.
It added the human safety study of AQCH has already been completed and the drug has been found safe at the recommended dose for Phase II study.
Dilip Shanghvi, Managing Director, Sun Pharma said, “AQCH has shown anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects in in-vitro studies conducted in collaboration with ICGEB, Italy. These results combined with information on mechanism of action through in-vitro and small animal studies give us the confidence to evaluate this potential treatment option for Covid-19 patients.”
The company has been developing the phytochemical-based drug to treat dengue for the last four years in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology and International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (DBT-ICGEB) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
The clinical trials to test the use of drug as a potential Covid-19 treatment option will be conducted by Sun Pharma in collaboration with the DBT-ICBEB and CSIR.
