Ahmedabad, India (December 9th, 2021) — Dishman Carbogen Amcis Ltd, a global outsourcing partner for the pharmaceutical industry, welcomes the results of a new Clinical Research Study which shows that oral 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 (Calcifediol) was able to correct vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in patients with COVID-19 and that it resulted in improved immune function by increasing blood lymphocyte percentages. The research was supervised by Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Boston University School of Medicine and supported in part by a grant from Dishman Carbogen Amcis Ltd’s wholly owned subsidiary CARBOGEN AMCIS B.V.

Dishman Carbogen Amcis Ltd (DCAL) is a leading global manufacturer of vitamin D plus its analogs and related APIs with over 70 years of experience in the field. DCAL partnered with Dr. Michael Holick, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics and molecular medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and its team for the Clinical Research Study to be run by the Tehran University of Medical Sciences on treatment with 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 (Calcifediol) of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

The study showed that patients receiving the 25-hydroxy metabolite had, in comparison to those receiving a placebo, a demonstrably more favorable development of their immunological defense against COVID-19. Thus, dosing the metabolite significantly increased the blood levels as well as the comparative percentage of lymphocytes in blood, i.e. a reduced Blood Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio.

“A person’s vitamin D status is defined as the person’s blood level of the vitamin’s 25-hydroxy metabolite (Calcifediol), i.e. the vitamin’s natural form in circulation which the body can quickly access and finally activate. Therefore, Dishman Carbogen Amcis Ltd has for years studied the effects of dosing either the vitamin and/or the metabolite. Said Dr. Scott Miller, Sr. Scientific Advisor at DCAL, “Our support of this study of Calcifediol in the context of COVID-19 was motivated by the fact that the blood level of the metabolite can be increased more rapidly and more distinctly, if supplemented directly.”

To support the Clinical Research Study CARBOGEN AMCIS B.V. (Netherlands) provided the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (Calcifediol) and the capsules and placebo were made at Dishman Carbogen Amcis Ltd’s plant in Bavla, India, specifically for this study.

“There are several studies that have reported that a good vitamin D status i.e. a healthy blood level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, can not only dramatically reduce the risk of being infected by this deadly virus but also a higher vitamin D status reduced risk for serious symptoms and death caused by the virus.” Commented Dr. Michael Holick. “This controlled study similar to the one conducted in Spain recently ^[1] demonstrate that the rapid improvement in vitamin D status can improve positive outcomes for patients infected with COVID 19.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic hitting the world in early 2020 resulted in unprecedented global focus of R&D efforts and of solidarity in coping with the sudden and unexpected high need for intensive care beds, which didn’t hit all countries to the same degree.” Said Arpit Vyas, Global Managing Director of Dishman Carbogen Amcis Ltd: “It is important for us to play a role in this new challenge, not only for our corporate interests but to contribute to the possible future of the fight against COVID-19. Therefore, to follow up with this Clinical Research Study, Dishman Carbogen Amcis Ltd is currently conducting a second round of study in a larger scale in India.”

For more information about the study supported by Dishman Carbogen Amcis Ltd:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1530891X21012593

^[1] “Effect of Calcifediol treatment and best available therapy versus best available therapy on intensive care unit admission and mortality among patients hospitalized for COVID-19: A pilot randomized clinical study”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076020302764

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Dishman Carbogen Amcis Ltd (www.imdcal.com) is a global outsourcing partner for the pharmaceutical industry, offering a portfolio of development, scale-up and manufacturing services. Dishman Carbogen Amcis group improves its customers’ businesses by providing a range of development and manufacturing solutions at locations in Europe and in India.

CARBOGEN AMCIS AG (www.carbogen-amcis.com) is a leading service provider, offering a portfolio of drug-development and commercialization services to the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry at all stages of drug development. The integrated services provide innovative chemistry solutions to support timely and safe drug development, allowing customers to make the best use of available resources. CARBOGEN AMCIS AG is owned by Dishman Carbogen Amcis Ltd., Ahmedabad, India.