Zydus gets approval for the emergency use of Pegylated interferon alpha-2b, ‘Virafin’ in the treatment of moderate Covid-19 infection.

It is a breakthrough in the disease management of COVID-19, it is seen when Virafin is administered early on, could help patients recover faster and avoid much of the complications seen in the advanced stages of the disease. Virafin has several add-on advantages as compared to other anti virals- it is less cumbersome and more affordable as Virafin is a single dose regimen. Single dose regimen would ensure better compliance.

In the clinical trials, patients on Virafin showed lesser need for supplementary oxygen, clearly showing it controlled respiratory distress better.

With age, the body’s ability to produce Interferons in response to viral infection reduces and may be associated with increased mortality in the elderly. Hence, administering Virafin at an early stage of the infection can aid this deficiency and cause faster recovery. (Source)