–SATISH HANDA
Pharmaceutical industry in the country witnessing nearly 30% drop in production due to shortage of raw material and drastically rise in prices of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) used as raw material for manufacturing bulk drugs and medicines. According to information, nearly 70% raw material required for manufacture of medicines in our country imported from China, has stopped due to government in China has discontinued air services to India at present and also increased prices of active pharmaceutical ingredients between 60 to 70% refusing to supply material on the prices as per existence contract rates with immediate effect as such pharmaceutical manufacturers in the country are left with no alternative except to purchase raw material from stockists at Mumbai and Delhi at much higher prices.
According to information, there are more than 350 pharmaceutical manufacturers in Haryana state, nearly 650 units to manufacture pharmaceutical and cosmetic products at Kala Amb, Baddi, Barotiwala, Nalagarh situated in the neighbouring states Himachal Pradesh and 283 manufacturing units in Uttranchal. Most of the units are manufacturing pharmaceuticals for KOVID-19 are adversely affected due to lack of supplies from China lifting nearly 3200 quintals API doing annual business of value worth over Rs 1800 crore. Anil Sharma President Uttranchal Drugs Manufacturing Association said, manufacturers in China supplying active pharmaceutical ingredients to manufacturers in India has now refused to make supplies at agreed rates as per the contract now demanding two to three times higher rates as such time has come when our manufacturers should develop raw material locally in the country.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Indian Industry of Uttarkhand Rakesh Bhatia said, India is the third biggest manufacturer of pharmaceuticals in the world and should start developing its own raw material in the country in order to end dependency on China. Expressing worry over the attitude of China indigenous manufacturers has decided to start manufacturing important active ingredients 70-120% imported from China at present used in manufacturing medicines. He said, prices of some of commonly used ingredients like Paracetamol has increased from Rs 350 to 900 per kg, price of Ivermacine increased from Rs 15000 to Rs 70000 per kg, price of Doxycline increased from Rs 6000 to 15500 per kg, price of Azithromycine increased from Rs 8500 to 14000 per kg and price of Procyline Glycol increased from Rs 140 to 400 per kg affecting manufacturing of large number of life saving medicines.
A good news, DRDO has developed 2 DG ((2D Oxy-2D Gulucose) medicine for the treatment of patients suffering from Carona virus being manufactured in the country by Dr Reddy Laboratories likely to be available in the market soon. According to scientists developed this medicine Dr Anil Misra, Dr Sudhir Chandana and Dr Anant Bhatt any reputed pharmaceutical company will be in a position to manufacture this life saving medicine for which basic raw material will be easily available in the country. They told that formula for clinical trial has already been made and no side effect was seen. Dr Sudhir told that the medicine was tried on nearly 300 patients suffering from minor, medium and maximum virus in different hospitals at Delhi, Gujarat, U.P, Rajasthan and Maharashtra and good response was obtained when medicine was capable to kill action by Carona virus.
