Egypt's Rameda gets requests to export COVID-19 drug - CEO

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Reuters) - Egypt's Rameda Pharmaceutical‮ ‬ has received requests to export Anviziram tablets, which are used to treat patients with the new coronavirus, to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Yemen, but needs a government approval first, its CEO told Reuters.

The company said earlier this month it had started manufacturing Anviziram, the generic equivalent of the Japanese antiviral Avigan, and had also received an approval from the Egyptian Drug Authority to manufacture Remedsivir, a Gilead Sciences Inc antiviral used for treating COVID-19.

Rameda, which listed 49% of its shares on the Egyptian exchange last year, has produced quantities enough Anviziram tablets to cover "appropriate numbers of patients in the Egyptian market," said its CEO Amr Morsy.

The company is providing the drug to the Egyptian health ministry to be used in hospitals. Morsy said it would be available to the public before the end of July, adding its commercial price was still being negotiated.

He expects more requests from Gulf countries to import Anviziram, but the company's response depends on the approval of the Egyptian authorities.

"We will discuss this with them next week to see whether we will be able to export or not," Morsy said.

(Reporting by Ehab Farouk; Writing by Mahmoud Mourad; Editing by Mark Potter)