India has prohibited exports of the drug remdesivir, used to treat COVID-19, as the country registered a record number of daily new coronavirus cases.
The government took the step amid a sudden spike in demand for the injection, the health ministry said in a statement on Sunday, adding that “there is a potential of further increase in this demand in the coming days.”
Seven Indian companies produce remdesivir under voluntary licensing agreements with Gilead Sciences Inc. They have an installed capacity of about 3.9 million units per month.
India’s government is also taking steps to curb hoarding and black marketing of the medicine and expand production of the medicine.
