Visakhapatnam: Drug control officer says DCGI gave permission to extend Remdesivir injections expiry date upto 12 months

Refuting allegations that Remdesivir injections, which were expired in March 2021, were administered to patients in Area Hospital, Narsipatnam, the District Drug Control has informed that Drugs Control General of India (DCGI) had given permission to the manufacturer to extend the shelf life and expiry date of the drug upto 12 months.

"Remdesivir is a new drug and the Drugs Control General of India (DCGI) had initially given instructions to the manufacturer to fix shelf life and expiry date as six months based on the stability studies submitted earlier by the manufacturer. Later, stability studies were continued and as per data of studies submitted by the manufacturer. The DCGI gave permission to the manufacturer to extend the shelf life and expiry date upto 12 months," District Drug Control Assistant Director, K Rajita said, according to an official statement.

Earlier on Wednesday, relatives of a COVID-19 patient in Visakhapatnam got into an argument with authorities of a government hospital alleging stickers with new dates have been pasted on expired Remdesivir injections.

"The injections expired in the month of March, but it seems like officials have reprinted stickers and put them on this batch of Remdesivir so that they can use it for another six months. If the expiration date of a drug has been fixed by the manufacturing company?" an angry relative asked.

( With inputs from ANI )

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