Social media users claim that an image shows an unsafe COVID-19 vaccine that is only distributed in Africa. This is wrong.
The proposed drug is not a vaccine, but an antiviral drug used to treat COVID-19, which is spread around the world.
Examples can be seen (here, here, here).
The reports show a picture of a medicine box for a drug called ‘Cipremi’, which is described as’ Brake’s injection. It is shown to be manufactured by the Indian pharmaceutical company Cipla.
The packaging contains a heading ‘Only for use in the countries below’ followed by a long list of African states.
On another side of the box is the even bigger message “NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN US, CANADA OR EU”.
Some social media users have suggested that the drug is a COVID-19 vaccine that is distributed only in Africa for safety reasons.
“The killer vaccine designed to wipe out Africa”, wrote one user (here), while others left comments such as: “They think we are their pets that they can experiment with” and “This is the depopulation at its best (sic) “(here).
But remdesivir is not a vaccine, it is an antiviral drug used to treat severe COVID-19.
It was developed by Gilead Sciences Inc. and is distributed inside and outside Africa (here).
Gilead manufactures brake derivatives in approximately 50 countries, including the United States, under the Veklury brand.
However, to expand its range of treatment to other parts of the world, Gilead has signed non-exclusive licensing agreements with several other drug manufacturers, including Cipla (here).
“Gilead Sciences Inc. has licensed Cipla to manufacture and sell brake derivatives in 127 emerging market countries to promote equitable access and affordability for patients in these countries,” Cipla told Reuters in an email.
The drugmaker said the label restriction that appears in the social media posts merely indicates areas that are not licensed for Cipla.
VERDICT
Untrue. Remdesivir is not a vaccine, it is an antiviral drug used to treat severe COVID-19. It is spread inside and outside Africa.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our work to actually check social media posts.