Corticosteroid Dexamethasone has proved to be effective in reducing mortality in patients severely affected by COVID-19 virus. As per a research conducted by scientists at Oxford University involving 2104 COVID positive patients, Dexamethasone reduces the death risk by as much as 35% in patients on ventilator support and by 20% in patients on oxygen support.
Dexamethasone Tablets is used for treating several ailments such as skin diseases, asthma, allergy, dental and eye inflammation, chronic obstructive lung disease and rheumatic disease.
The steroid needs to be taken under a doctor’s supervision.
Dexamethasone was first made in 1957, and it gained global approval in 1961. In India, the market value of Dexamethasone is Rs 100 crore annually. Twenty brands in the country manufacture the steroid. Dexamethasone is sold as a tablet, injection or oral drip. The leading brands of Dexamethasone in India are Wockhardt, Cadila Pharmaceuticals, Zydus Cadila, GLS Pharma, Wyeth Limited, Morepan Labs and Baroda Pharmaceuticals. Dexamethasone manufactured in India has the approval of WHO. This drug is also a part of the essential list of WHO.
India exports Dexamethasone Tablets to 107 countries. The topmost destination of Dexamethasone export from India is the USA. Other top countries include Nigeria, Canada, the Russian Federation and Uganda. These top 5 countries account for 64.54% of India’s total Dexamethasone export. This drug is very cheap. The total value of Dexamethasone exports stands at Rs 116.78 crore. A strip of 10 Dexamethasone tablets costs just 3 rupees which means a single tablet is priced at 30 paise.
The exact potential of the drug is yet to be determined, which is only possible after full clinical data is available. However, the initial trials have yielded encouraging results.
