Anti-hepatitis C drug test on patients soon

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, August 1

After the ongoing human trials of Covaxin, medical specialists at Rohtak PGIMS will now begin the clinical tests of anti-hepatitis C drugs such as Ledipasvir, Daclatasvir and Sofosbuvir on Covid patients.

Sources said if all goes well, the clinical trials would begin within a week or so.

“The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council has sanctioned Rs 86 lakh for the project to be executed by Rohtak PGIMS in collaboration with Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, and INTOX Private Limited, Pune,” said Dr Mahesh C Gupta, senior professor, head of the department of pharmacology at Rohtak PGIMS and co-principal investigator of the project, while talking to The Tribune here on Saturday.

Prof Gupta said after getting the requisite permission from the authorities concerned, Rohtak PGIMS would carry out the clinical trials, whereas the in-vitro and in-silico aspects of the project would be taken care of by the NCL and INTOX.

Of Rs 86 lakh sanctioned for the purpose, Rohtak PGIMS will get a share of Rs 50 lakh, he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Dhruva Chaudhry, senior professor and head of the department of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Rohtak PGIMS and principal investigator of the project, said the clinical trials of the anti-hepatitis C drugs would be conducted on 175 Covid patients divided into three groups.