Expired drugs possibly given to Nipah patients, says Keralam Health Minister

The medical board is investigating a possible link between expired Remdesivir and deaths among Nipah patients. The issue matters because hospital records suggest some Remdesivir used in 2023, 2024, and 2025 may have passed its expiry date. The investigation will determine whether the medicine contributed to deaths, rather than assuming it did.

The board will also check whether other patients experienced side-effects after receiving the drug. The Minister for Health said the board will be headed by Aravind R., head of the Infectious Diseases department at Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram. Officials have been directed to provide details of every patient given Remdesivir.

The concern follows six Nipah cases in 2023, two cases in 2024, and three cases in 2025. Deaths occurred in each of those years. In 2026, one reported patient recovered, but the article does not establish whether drug expiry caused any death or illness.

Remdesivir is an antiviral drug. The article states that it is given to people with COVID-19 and Nipah. For Nipah patients, its purpose is to help treat the viral infection, especially during an emergency when doctors are trying to save lives. The article does not describe how the drug works or confirm its effectiveness against Nipah.

Kerala distributed Remdesivir to health institutions through Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd., or KMSCL. The supply was intended for emergency situations. The drug was purchased only through Karunya, with the last purchase made on June 3, 2021. This created a stock that hospitals could use when seriously ill patients needed treatment.

The current concern is not simply that Remdesivir was used for Nipah. It is whether some doses had expired before use. The medical board will investigate that question, along with possible side-effects in patients who received the drug.

Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, recorded using 146 Remdesivir vials from 2023 through 2025. This total combines the hospital’s yearly figures: 102 vials in 2023, 34 vials in 2024, and 10 vials in 2025. These numbers are central to the investigation because officials suspect some doses may have been expired.

The suspected expiry issue arises from the purchase date and shelf life. KMSCL last bought Remdesivir on June 3, 2021, and the expiry date of the last drug purchased was May 30, 2023. The article says Remdesivir used in 2023, 2024, and 2025 may therefore have been expired.

The hospital also recorded 50 vials in 2026-27. Those doses came from Bahrain and were used to treat a Nipah patient. They were separate from the doses suspected of being expired, according to the information provided by the Minister.

Giving a medicine after its expiry date can create two main concerns. The drug may no longer work as intended, so the patient might receive too little effective treatment. Its quality may also change over time, creating possible safety risks. The exact danger depends on the medicine, its formulation, and how it was stored.

For Remdesivir, the article does not state what happened to any particular dose after expiry. It reports that the last purchase had an expiry date of May 30, 2023, while hospital records show use in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That timing prompted suspicion and the creation of a medical board.

The board must determine whether expiry affected patients or contributed to deaths. It will also examine side-effects among other recipients. Until that investigation is complete, the article does not establish that expired Remdesivir caused any death, treatment failure, or specific illness.

Kerala purchased Remdesivir during an emergency because the drug was being used for patients with serious viral illnesses. The Minister said it was distributed to health institutions to save lives. Emergency purchasing helped make the antiviral available through the health system when hospitals needed it.

KMSCL made its last purchase through Karunya on June 3, 2021. The order contained 3,000 vials and cost ₹42 lakh. The article says the drug had been purchased only through Karunya. KMSCL then distributed Remdesivir to health institutions during emergency situations.

The later concern arose because the last purchased drug expired on May 30, 2023. Hospital records listed use after that date, including 102 vials in 2023, 34 in 2024, and 10 in 2025. Officials are now checking whether those doses were expired and whether patients were affected.

Several institutions have different responsibilities in this investigation. Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd., or KMSCL, supplied Remdesivir to health institutions during emergencies. The drug was purchased through Karunya. This makes KMSCL the institution linked to procurement and distribution of the medicine.

The medical board will investigate whether expired Remdesivir contributed to Nipah deaths and whether other recipients suffered side-effects. It will be headed by Aravind R., head of the Infectious Diseases department at Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram. The board is therefore responsible for examining the medical evidence.

The Director of Medical Education and the Director of Health Services have been directed to provide details of all patients who received Remdesivir. Their records will help investigators identify affected patients and connect treatment dates with the drug’s expiry date. The article does not name any other investigating institution.

The source article does not list alternative Nipah treatments. In established medical practice, care generally focuses on supportive treatment in hospital, such as managing breathing, fluids, fever, seizures, and other complications. This does not directly replace a specific antiviral, but it supports the patient while the illness runs its course.

Doctors may also consider other antiviral medicines in selected situations, but evidence and approval can vary. Such decisions depend on the patient’s condition, available facilities, local guidance, and specialist judgment. They should not be made by patients without medical supervision. The article gives no name for an alternative drug.

Its central issue is narrower: whether Remdesivir used in Kerala may have been expired. The medical board will review deaths and side-effects, while officials gather recipient records. Until that review is complete, the article provides no conclusion about Remdesivir’s effectiveness or any substitute treatment.