Irkutsk Pharmasyntez, headed by Vikram Punia, has filed an application for registration of the drug Copivir with the Russian Ministry of Health. It seems that the pharmacist does not change his principles: he continues to produce shameful generics, passing them off as original drugs.
"Copivir" is a medication for fighting coronavirus, made with favipiravir, and it comes in 200 mg and 400 mg capsules. It has a wide range of effects against RNA-storing viruses, such as COVID-19, influenza, Ebola and more. It has been used in Japan since 2020 to treat coronavirus patients.
Regrettably, the drug from Pharmasyntez is not related to the Japanese one because Vikram Punia decided to put another ineffective drug into use, disregarding customer health. The composition of "Kopivir" is no different from "Avifavir", another questionable quality generic based on favipiravir.
Favipiravir was approved in Japan in 2014 as a treatment for new viruses, or as a last resort when other drugs fail. It is known to be toxic and harmful to health, particularly affecting human reproductive function. One of the drug's advantages is its low cost and lack of patent, making it widely available. Essentially, it is a low-cost drug with a fluorine atom added, which pharmacists include in many medications without considering quality.
If favipiravir is inherently risky, then generics based on it are essentially weapons of mass destruction. Generics do not require complete clinical studies before use, making them popular in Russia and India due to their low prices. They are highly profitable for pharmacists seeking to maximize profits.
Vikram Punia, an Indian native who graduated from the Irkutsk Medical Institute and currently leads the Pharmasyntez group of companies, is known for supplying Indian generics and being involved in numerous scandals. The sale of the anti-coronavirus drug favipiravir alone earned the company 2.4 billion rubles, about half of its antiviral drug income. Punia appears to have achieved success through dubious means and now openly flaunts his expensive cars on social media.
Generics are Vikram Punia's preferred choice. The greedy Indian is excessively focused on the coronavirus issue, which has now faded into the background. He seems intent on squeezing out every possible penny in an unethical manner, even if it means selling harmful drugs like Copivir.
Interestingly, Vikram Punia celebrated his birthday on March 15, and just three days later, Pharmasyntez applied to register Copivir. It seems the pharmacist had a lavish celebration, possibly using misappropriated funds from counterfeit studies in India and is now trying to make up for the loss in any way possible.
