MUMBAI/DELHI : Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has sough the drug regulator’s permission to repurpose a generic drug used to treat tapeworm infestations for potential covid-19 treatment.In its annual report for 2020-21, the Mukesh Ambani-led group said it submitted an application to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to allow Niclosamide to be used for treating covid-19 patients.
The drug is on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of essential medicines for treating covid-19 cases.According to the government’s clinical trial registry, there are three trials currently underway in India to study the use of Niclosamide for covid-19.The largest of them is a phase 2 trial of 96 subjects by Telangana-based Laxai Life Sciences Pvt..