ANSA McAL Trading Limited (AMTL) on Wednesday delivered 100 vials of Remdesivir to the Ministry of Health as a donation to continue the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the simple presentation ceremony held at the Ministry of Health on Brickdam Street, Managing Director of AMTL, Troy Cadogan noted that the company has long been cognizant of its’ Corporate Social Responsibility.
He said as one of the leading distributors in Guyana, AMTL has partnered with one of its suppliers to donate 100 units of Remdesivir 100mg Injection.
“The donation of this drug will provide a powerful tool in the government’s arsenal to help in their fight against some of the debilitating symptoms of COVID-19, that can occur in some cases,” Cadogan shared.
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony accepted the kind gesture and highlighted that it is such efforts by corporate Guyana that will aid in the fight against COVID-19.
Dr. Anthony also noted that the Remdesivir Injection is a “powerful component” in the fight against the virus.
Meanwhile, AMTL also committed to donating another 100 vials of the injection by this coming weekend with the total cost of the 200 vials amounting to just over $7M.
Remdesivir (GS-5734), a nucleoside analogue prodrug, has inhibitory effects on pathogenic animal and human coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro, and inhibits Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, SARS-CoV-1, and SARS-CoV-2 replication in animal models. Early clinical studies have shown clinically meaningful differences and reductions in some clinical parameters in patients.
The Health Minister had, in September, announced that Remdesivir will be used to treat patients who have fallen critically-ill as a result of the novel coronavirus disease.
“Remdesivir is a very costly drug that is used in the US for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. We have been able to acquire this medicine out of India and the company that is manufacturing this particular drug was licensed by GILEAD to be able to produce this generic version,” Minister Anthony had expressed.
