Pharmaceutical firm Jubilant Generics, which had turned Nanjangud in Mysuru district into a COVID-19 hotspot, will resume manufacturing of drugs after the state government accorded clearance for its operations to resume.
The company had sought permission to restart operations after its parent company Jubilant Life Sciences tied up with US drug firm Gilead to manufacture and sell Remedisvir - considered to be a frontline drug to treat COVID-19.
"For manufacturing ‘Remdesivir’ the work on modification of the plant to supply the product has to begin immediately. In view of this extreme urgency, it is critical to resume and normalise operations at the Jubilant Generics, Nanjangud plant immediately," a letter to the government by the company read.
The company noted that it also manufactured critical medicines like Azithromycin, Losartan, Valsartan, Irbesartan, Carbamazepine, Oxcarbazepine. "Jubilant also manufactures Azithromycin Dihydrate and Azithromycin Monohydrate that are used as the first line of treatment for COVID-19," it said.
When contacted, Nanjangud MLA B Harshavardhan confirmed that the government has permitted manufacturing to resume at the plant, and operations were likely to commence in a week or two.
The company also stressed that preventive measures in line with Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines and protocols will be followed, adding that detailed sanitising work was carried out by a professional agency.
The manufacturing of Remdesivir, Azithromycin and other drugs’ supplies to people with the shortest possible lead time will save countless lives. In order to fight this global menace and in the interest of the people of the state of Karnataka and the country, the plant needs to start full operations immediately, the letter added.
It can be recalled that Patient 52, employed at Jubilant Generics, was identified as the source of infection of Nanjangud Cluster, spreading it to 76 people, of which 48 were the patient's primary contacts, 24 secondary and two tertiary contacts.
The state government instituted a probe under IAS officer Harsh Gupta in April to unravel the source of infection of the Nanjangud cluster. However, on May 2, he had submitted an incomplete report to the government citing lack of cooperation from some departments.