But medical experts have criticised those guidelines for another reason — they continue to recommend hydroxychloroquine also without evidence of benefit. (Shutterstock)Sections of medical experts have questioned the Indian drug regulatory agency’s approval last week for the use of an anti-viral drug called favipiravir to treat coronavirus disease, saying there is inadequate evidence to support this use. The experts, including a senior clinician-researcher associated with the Indian Council of Medical Research, said the decision by the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation to approve favipiravir appears to have been taken in haste. The company’s clinical trial in India has a sample size of 150 patients — 90 patients with mild disease and 60 patients with moderate disease. “In the absence of any strong evidence of benefits to patients, this drug is likely to be prescribed to many patients with mild disease,” Kalantri said.

Source: The Telegraph June 22, 2020 23:15 UTC