Drug major Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd received regulatory approval to start clinical trials of a pancreatitis drug Nafamostat Mesilate in COVID-19 patients. The company said in a statement “Nafamostat has been identified as a potential candidate for COVID-19 patients by scientists at the University of Tokyo and Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Germany.” Nafamostat is approved in Japan for the improvement of acute symptoms of pancreatitis and treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Scientists from the University of Tokyo, Japan and Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Germany, have recently explained that Nafamostat, at very low concentrations, overpowers a protein(TMPRSS2) through which the COVID-19 virus uses to enter human lung cells, company added.
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries MD Dilip Shanghvi said in a statement that Nafamostat has shown encouraging data against SARS-CoV-2 virus in in-vitro studies led by three independent groups of scientists in Europe, Japan and South Korea. Also, the company conjoins known drugmakers Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Strides Pharma Science Ltd that are conducting trials in India on potential drugs for COVID-19.
According to reports, the company has already started the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and using the technology from its unit Pola Pharma Japan for the finished product. Sun Pharma shares gained after the announcement and closed at 474.25 Rupees (up 3.3%). Sun Pharma plans to start the India trials soon but has not given a timeline for completion of the same.
