Gujarat-based Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) has taken up a special project to develop anti viral drug Camostat Mesylate which can be useful as preventive drug for Covid-19.
At present, Camostat Mesylate is being imported from Japan and other countries. The scientists working to develop the drug indigenously at CSMCRI got 90% purity during the synthesis process. “We want to take purity of molecules up to 99%. If we would success to do so, the institute would be ready to make collaboration with pharmaceutical companies for clinical trials and other procedures to make it commercially viable,” says Dr. S Adimurthy, senior principal scientist at CSMCRI.
The institute situated in the coastal town Bhavnagar initiated this project in July 2020 and according to the scientists working on it the project has got initial success also. “CSMCRI’s basic job is to get desired purity level of the molecule for the inhibitor drug. Once we achieve that level, pharmaceutical companies can take it forward by initiating clinical trials and other regulatory processes to commercialise the drug,” said Adimurthy, adding the most encouraging thing for the project is that all required raw materials are available in India to develop Camostat Mesylate indigenously.
Going by the current cost of Camostat Mesylate, it is around Rs 1 lakh per kg in India. If the drug is manufactured locally, the cost would be as low as Rs 20,000 per kg.
