Kerala forms board to probe expired Remdesivir in Nipah deaths

Medical board set up to probe whether expired Remdesivir contributed to deaths of Nipah patients, Health Minister K. Muraleedharan announced. The board, headed by Infectious Diseases chief Aravind R. of Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, will also examine side‑effects in other patients who received the drug. Muraleedharan made the statement in reply to MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan’s assembly submission raising fears over the use of expired Remdesivir on Thursday, Oct 29, 2026. He directed the Director of Medical Education and the Director of Health Services to furnish details of every patient who was given the antiviral. Remdesivir, an antiviral used for COVID‑19 and Nipah, is supplied to Kerala health facilities only through Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd (KMSCL) in emergencies. KMSCL’s last purchase was on June 3, 2021 from Karunya, buying 3,000 vials for ₹42 lakh, each batch expiring on May 30, 2023. Hospital data show 102 vials used in the 2023‑24 year, 34 in 2024‑25, 10 in 2025‑26 and 50 in 2026‑27 (the latter imported from Bahrain for a Nipah case). The 2023‑25 supplies are suspected to have been past expiry when administered. Kerala recorded six Nipah cases in 2023 (two deaths), two cases in 2024 (both died), three cases in 2025 (two died) and one case in 2026, whose patient recovered after treatment.

Context

Expired medicines are generally barred from clinical use, so allegations of such use raise safety concerns. The investigation will determine if protocol lapses occurred and whether any policy changes are needed to prevent future risks.