Pharma Excellence Awards 2020 organised amid COVID-19 by HEAL Foundation. Pharma Companies were honoured for their exemplary works during COVID-19 crisis, helping people fight the pandemic in myriad ways.
New Delhi 25th August 2020: During COVID-19 pandemic, like every sector, Pharma sector has also done exemplary work to help combat this unprecedented crisis. Aiming to honour different pharma companies for their extraordinary works in different categories during COVID-19, HEAL Foundation took the initiative and organised Pharma Excellence Awards on 20th August 2020. The awards were conferred to different pharma companies for five categories: COVID patient education initiative, COVID medical education category, COVID social impact program, COVID supply chain innovation and COVID drugs.
“Of course, the exemplary deeds of various pharmaceutical companies during COVID-19 pandemic to serve the people in myriad ways are worthy enough to be awarded. This award is an appreciation, which will be a gentle reminder to the recipients to keep the flame of their noble deeds burning as and when required to rescue any such unforeseen public health emergency situation like this. The Indian companies have played a pivotal role in meeting the supply chain during the crisis. This crisis has also enabled Indian pharma industry not only in leading the manufacturing but also in R&D and discovering the new drugs and vaccines, and to meet the global demands”, said Dr Swadeep Srivastava, Founder, HEAL Foundation during the award distribution.
Pharma Excellence Awards 2020 have been conferred to the following companies for different categories:
| SrNo | Award Category | Recipients | Award given for Exemplary work |
| 1 | COVID PATIENT EDUCATION INITIATIVES | CADILA PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED | Created 150+ videos for patient awareness. These videos were circulated through various social media channels. |
| 2 | COVID MEDICAL EDUCATION INITATIVES | JENBURKT | Realizing that there is a massive knowledge gap about Favipiravir and early detection of COVID-19, over and above launching the product at an affordable price, Jenburkt has been the first in India to launch a Virtual COVID-19 Knowledge Series aptly named ‘Meet the COVID Warriors™ via a series of webinars which is promoted on their social media channels and through Whatsapp. |
| 3 | COVID SOCIAL IMPACT PROGRAMS | LUPIN | Lupin launched a helpline in Mumbai, Pune, Bhopal & Indore, facilitating medical outreach to citizens to resolve queries about COVID-19, its symptoms, details about nearest testing centres or government hospitals, and help for those suffering from stress, anxiety or mental health issues. Contributed INR 21 crore for relief efforts directed towards mitigating the COVID-19 crisis. Employees also contributed INR 5.5 crorein (PM CARES Fund). |
| GLENMARK | Provided 50 lakh meals for undernourished children, pregnant women and daily wage earners during COVID-19 pandemic in the country. | ||
| 4 | COVID SUPPLY CHAIN INNOVATION | IPCA | Adequate supply of Hydroxychloroquine HCQ in Government institutions as well as in retail markets. |
| 5 | COVID DRUGS | CADILA PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED | Novel drug in collaboration with ICMR received a marketing approval for cytokine storm in COVID 19 patients, the drug is also under clinical development in India SEPSIVAC® is repositioned from general sepsis cases to cytokine storm related sepsis in COVID 19 patients, this drug suppresses cytokine production and circulation, antagonist effect on TLR4, thus blocks overall sepsis cascade. |
| BHARAT SERUM & VACCINE LIMITED | Its product Ulinastatin used in severe sepsis and other critical condition (acute pancreatitis) is undergoing phase III clinical study in mild to moderate ARDS patients with COVID 19 as a repurposed drug. | ||
| LUPIN | Launched its Favipiravir in India under the brand name Covihalt® for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 patients on 5th Aug’ 2020. | ||
| MYLAN | Developed Remdesivir, maintaining reliable supply of drug in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic. | ||
| HETERO | Over 300,000 vials for 50,000 COVID-19 patients were used in 2 months. To ease up the huge demand, used Baddi and Guwahati facilities to develop liquid and lyophilized powder of Remdesivir. | ||
| GLENMARK | Its drug FABIFLUhas been used for 20,000 COVID-19 patients to prevent complications and save their lives. | ||
| BAXTER | Its oXiris filter set has been used widely during multiple blood purification therapies for AKI patients including CRRT. |
“This is indeed a wonderful initiative by HEAL foundation to confer awards to the pharma players who have really done excellent jobs as per their domains and capacities during the COVID-19 pandemic to help countrymen combat the crisis. I believe this will be a morale-booster to all the pharma companies to work to contribute their best for any such situation emanating further”, said Dr Chandrakant S Pandav, Former HoD, Community Medicine, AIIMS, Global Public Health Expert & President, Award Jury, Pharma Excellence Awards 2020.
Recipient’s take on Pharma Excellence Awards 2020:
“At the outset, I’d like to thank the organizers and the jury for this award. As the COVID-19 cases continue to surge in India, we at Baxter are committed to serving our mission of ‘saving and sustaining lives’. We are working hard in driving awareness and adoption of Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy & oXiris among our customers in supporting them to fight the pandemic”, said Ravinder Dang, VP, Commercial Excellence, APAC and General Manager, India.
Nilesh Kulkarni, CHRO, Bharat Serums & Vaccines Ltd. (BSVL) humbly accepted the Pharma Excellence award (COVID Drugs Category) saying, “This award is an acknowledgement of our research-based legacy. BSVL has taken up the war to fight COVID-19 by conducting two research studies. First, Ulinastatin, approved for use in severe sepsis and other critical condition viz. acute pancreatitis, is undergoing phase-III clinical study in mild to moderate ARDS patients with COVID 19 as a repurposed drug. The second study is a pre-clinical one; on the development of equine polyclonal antibodies for treating COVID-19 infection. Demonstrated work in processing therapeutic polyclonal antibodies from hyper immunised horse plasma prompted us to initiate this research project in June”.
“It was really an honour and privilege for us at Jenburkt to participate in the Pharma Excellence Awards 2020 conceptualised by the HEAL Foundation in context to the prevailing pandemic situation across the globe.We sincerely appreciate your best efforts in organising this great event successfully despite various challenges we face in the country on account of continuing COVID-19 lockdown. Your Pharma Excellence e-Summit programme attracted many Pharma Companies and Medical Professionals and inspired them to a great extent. This event has also helped spread awareness about the contribution of the Indian Pharmaceutical Industryin the country. With the intent to serve the nation, we brought out Favivent Tablets at a very economical price for mild to moderate COVID-19 cases”, said, Mr N.M.C. Nair, General Manager (HR & Admin.), Jenburkt Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
