Authors
Cipla will supply the drug Remdesivir directly to a patient’s hospital, shows an image widely circulated on social media platforms. The accompanying image includes details of Cipla helpline for COVID-19 as well as other details on the drug.
We received the image in context on our Whatsapp helpline number asking us to verify this claim.
This claim with the accompanying image has been circulating on social media platforms since July this year.
Fact Check/ Verification
On 15 July, Cipla, the global pharmaceutical company “set up an additional #helpline to share information on availability of critical Cipla products, for the #COVID19 pandemic period only.”
The image in the claim is almost identical to the one shared by the company about their additional helpline. Except it does not include details on the drug.
This claim began to circulate on social media platforms at a time when the company launched “its generic version of broad-spectrum anti-viral drug remdesivir (branded Cipremi), to be used on critically ill Covid patients in the hospitals,” reported Financial Express.
Costing Rs. 4000, you can read more about Cipla’s remdesivir Cipremi launched in India here.
We reached out to Cipla who clarified that they didn’t issue any such statement as written in the image. “The second part of the message (after the poster) is not a statement by Cipla,” they said.
The obvious grammatical errors in the image also led to suspicion on its authenticity. This includes the spelling of the drug Remdesivir, which was incorrectly written as “Rendemsivir”. Other errors include doctor’s advice written as “Dr. s Advise”, and written as “N” and no full stops at the end of a sentence.
Conclusion
The claim with the accompanying image which states that Cipla will supply the drug Remdesivir directly to a patient’s hospital is false. The pharmaceutical company did not issue any such statement. A poster of Cipla’s helpline to share information on its critical products has been modified to fit the claim.
Result: False
Our Sources
Direct confirmation from Cipla
Cipla’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cipla_Global/status/1283381524704849920?s=20
Cipla’s website: https://www.cipla.com/covid-care
Financial Express: https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/health/cipla-launches-remdesivir-claims-it-is-inexpensive/2018015/
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