Delhi imports anti-Nipah drug from Australia

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 30

In a move that could bring a ray of hope to people infected with Nipah virus disease in Kerala, the Centre has granted regulatory waivers for emergency import of an anti-NiV drug developed by an Australian researcher.

A 50-dose consignment of Monoclonal 102.4 antibodies developed by Dr Christopher C Broder of Australia reached India today and will be dispatched to Kozhikode Government Medical College for further administration to NiV patients. These antibodies have reported a 90 per cent success rate among NiV patients in Bangladesh.

On the recommendation of ICMR, India’s apex medical research body, Drug Controller General of India S Eswara Reddy issued a no-objection certificate for customs clearance of the consignment of what’s believed to be a “wonder drug”.

Regulatory waiver by Health Ministry means the drug will not have to go through clinical trials mandated for all imported medicines before they can be administered to the local population.

The ICMR, in its letter to the Ministry seeking NoC for import of anti-Nipah Monoclonal 102.4 antibodies, wrote, “Nipah is a potentially fatal infection with a mortality rate of 70 to 100 per cent. As of now, more than 90 contacts of the primary and secondary cases of Nipah have been listed and will be closely followed for 42 days. There is no licensed vaccine or drug for NiV across the world but after extensive review of literature and discussions with global stakeholders, we found that Monoclonal 102.4 antibodies against Nipah virus have been developed by Dr Christopher C Broder of Australia. 

“The antibodies have shown promising results. The government of Queensland has maintained a stockpile of m102.4 antibodies for emergency use on compassionate grounds and has agreed to send us 50 doses based on 1.5 gram per 75 kg person free of cost.”

Top Health Ministry sources said they had satisfied themselves with the value of the drug at a time when no other licensed treatment for Nipah was available anywhere globally. “We studied the results of monoclonal 102.4 antibodies and found it has had 90 per cent success rate among Nipah patients in Bangladesh. Nipah outbreak in Kerala is an emergency situation and we consider it fit to approve urgent import of the Australian anti-Nipah drug to try and save lives at home,” a top ministry official said.

The government has allowed import of the drug on the condition that ICMR clinicians and pharmacologists will supervise the operation of drug delivery in Kerala and emergency facilities will be made available at Kozhikode Government Medical College while administering the said product.

Nipah has so far claimed 14 lives in Kerala, and remains contained in the state. 

Soldier dies of suspected NiV infection 

• An Army jawan from Kerala, Seenu Prasad (27), has died of suspected Nipah virus infection in Kolkata 
• Posted at the Eastern Command Headquarters in Kolkata, he had high fever and was admitted to Command Hospital on May 20 where he passed away five days later
• On a month-long leave to his native place in Kerala, he had joined work in Kolkata on May 13 
• “The deceased’s body fluids have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune. Till a report is received, it cannot be confirmed whether it was a Nipah virus case,” a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said
• After recent NiV deaths in Kerala, there has been panic in Bengal, which has seen two episodes of virus attacks in past