Yesim Sert Karaaslan
May 08, 2020•Update: May 08, 2020
ANKARA
A Turkish pharmaceutical company said Friday it has developed a generic drug containing hydroxychloroquine sulphate, which doctors have been using to treat COVID-19-related symptoms.
As pharmaceutical companies race to find a cure for the deadly virus globally, Turkish Kocak Farma company official Cem Kocak said that they too are playing their part.
Kocak noted that Turkey actively contributes to global efforts in finding a cure for coronavirus via its domestic companies and said the use of hydroxychlorine-based malaria drug has been successful in the treatment of COVID-19 for the time being.
Underlining that the currently used hydroxychlorine-based drug is from a foreign pharmaceutical company, Kocak said: "We took action to generate a domestic product. We began our journey and our research to not only meet the country's medicine needs but also to contribute to the country's economy."
"As a result of the studies, we have obtained the permit for our product with the active ingredient hydroxychloroquine sulphate used in the treatment of COVID-19," he added.
The permit is applicable to 200 milligrams of tablets.
What is generic medicine?
Generic medicine is a drug that is an alternative to an original drug.
Generic drugs contain the same active ingredients as the original brand products.
*Writing by Merve Aydogan
