ICMR to revise treatment protocol for Covid-19 patients

According to sources, the apex health research body, ICMR, has been considering the use of Remdesivir, an antiviral drug which has shown improvement in Covid-19 patients in formal clinical trials

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While doctors said that it has not affected mortality rates related to Covid-19, the drug has shown reduction in time to clinical improvement. (Gilead Sciences via AP)

There has been a revision in the treatment protocol for clinical management of Covid- 19 patients, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Dr Balram Bhargava said on Wednesday. “We will put up details on the website on Thursday,” Dr Bhargava told The Indian Express.

According to sources, the apex health research body, ICMR, has been considering the use of Remdesivir, an antiviral drug which has shown improvement in Covid-19 patients in formal clinical trials. Currently, Remdesivir is allowed for emergency/compassionate use in treating severely-ill Covid-19 patients and it is likely to be part of the revised protocol.

Remdesivir was granted emergency use authorisation by the US Food and Drug Administration last month and has received approval by Japanese health regulators. According to sources,with the government set to procure the drug, Indian companies are looking at manufacturing biosimilars. “So far, hospitals do not have the drug,” said intensivists at various dedicated Covid hospitals.

According to reports, US-based Gilead Sciences has given a voluntary licence for production of Remdesivir to four companies in the country. Research on the efficacy of Remdesivir in the treatment of Covid-19 is part of WHO’s Solidarity Trial.

Recently, researchers also reported in the journal Nature that treatment with the antiviral drug Remdesivir has been found to reduce viral load and prevent lung disease in macaques infected with SARS-CoV-2. The study supported the early use of Remdesivir treatment in patients with Covid-19 to prevent progression to pneumonia.

While doctors said that it has not affected mortality rates related to Covid-19, the drug has shown reduction in time to clinical improvement.

But the drug is expensive and questions are bound to arise on the availability, sources said.

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Dr D B Kadam, chairman of a special task force of specialist doctors for Pune that had recommended Tocilizumab for Covid-19 patients in case their condition worsens, said that till date, no single therapy was cent per cent effective and there was a need to use multiple options.

“Various repurposed drugs are in preliminary trials and we need to explore antiviral agents one by one. If the drugs are available, we can use them… importantly, patients need to come in early for treatment,” Dr Kadam told The Indian Express.

According to Dr Parikshit Prayag, consultant at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, which has treated approximately 500 Covid-19 patients, of whom 364 were discharged – it was crucial to identify the underlying mechanism of why oxygen levels were dropping among patients. “So, if the patient worsens, some questions need to be addressed such as whether the virus is promoting clotting of arteries in the patient, if he/she has cardiac dysfunction, or whether there is a direct effect on the lungs (where drugs like HCQS and Remdesivir would come into play). The fourth question would be whether a hyper immune response is damaging the lungs and lastly it would be to check the patient for secondary bacterial infections,” Dr Prayag said, stressing that careful clinical management was crucial.

In a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, preliminary findings supported the use of Remdesivir for patients who are hospitalised with Covid-19 and require supplemental oxygen therapy. However, given the high mortality despite the use of Remdesivir, it is clear that treatment with an antiviral drug alone is not likely to be sufficient and future strategies should evaluate anti-viral agents in combination with other therapeutic approaches to improve patient outcomes in Covid-19, the NEJM study said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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