EVA Pharma: Supporting India Amid COVID-19 Surge

CAIRO,
EGYPT – EQS Newswire – 27 July 2021 – EVA Pharma’s (www.EVAPharma.com) timely shipments of Remdesivir reached India during a major
wave of coronavirus cases.

When India experienced an
unexpected COVID-19 surge this spring, the rapid increase in cases put pressure
on the local pharmaceutical industry to supply the medicines needed. In April,
EVA Pharma signed a contract with the Indian government to export 300,000 vials
of Remdesivir, an approved treatment for coronavirus, to meet the urgent needs
there.

Six shipments of Remdesivir
were flown to Mumbai between May and June and were subsequently dispatched to
hospitals across India, reaching patients everywhere from major cities to the
remote archipelago of Lakshadweep.

“I’m glad to say that the six
consignments in which the Remdesivir was dispatched to India were not only sent
on schedule but in all cases before the schedule,” commented Ambassador Ajit
Gupte, India’s envoy to Egypt. “This was a period when the caseload was very
high in India, and the shipments would have helped to save a lot of
lives.” 

EVA Pharma is the only company
in the Middle East or Africa that has been granted a voluntary license to produce
and distribute Remdesivir by Gilead Sciences, Inc, the owner of the molecule.
The production lines at the EVA Pharma facility in Haram, Cairo, are certified
by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), enabling the company to export its
products globally. 

COVID-19 cases in India have
since declined, reducing the immediate pressure on local health systems and
supply lines. Cases in other countries have gone up in recent months, however,
especially due to the spread of the Delta variant. As a result, EVA Pharma has
increased its exports of Remdesivir to other Asian countries such as
Indonesia.

“We are proud to support
COVID-19 efforts both in Egypt and around the world by manufacturing Remdesivir
at our world-class manufacturing facility in Cairo,” said Dr. Riad Armanious,
CEO of EVA Pharma. “With our monthly production of Remdesivir now amounting to
1.5 million doses, we are able to meet the local needs of Egyptian patients
while also helping other countries tackle this crisis. In fact, we now supply
more than 20 countries around the world with Remdesivir.”

The success of the
cooperation between EVA Pharma and India highlights the potential for
further fruitful collaboration between emerging economies,
especially during times of need.

“As developing
countries, what I can say is India and Egypt face similar challenges,” said
Ambassador Gupte. “One of the challenges we face is how we can provide
affordable health care to our millions of people because we are populous
countries. Cost is important. So I think the closer the cooperation between
India and Egypt, the more we will be able to help provide basic needs for the
people of our countries.”