Cadila to Test Investigational Chronic Kidney Disease Drug on COVID-19 Patients in India, an Industrial Info Market Brief

Indian pharma-major Cadila Healthcare Limited has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to initiate a clinical trial of Desidustat tablets as a potential COVID-19 treatment.

Desidustat is a prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, a class of drugs known for increasing hemoglobin levels. COVID-19 patients often show signs of hypoxia due to fall in hemoglobin that can carry oxygen and carbon dioxide, leading to intense poisoning and inflammation in lung cells. Desidustat can help reduce fatalities by stabilizing hypoxia-inducible factor and improved oxygen delivery to tissues. The drug is currently being studied for treating patients with chronic kidney disease.

Cadila will carry out a multi-centre, open-label, randomized, comparator-controlled Phase III trial to assess the safety and efficacy of Desidustat for management of COVID-19.