Mandatory prescription of generic names is not a complete solution. Rather, in the absence of a range of approaches, it could mean passing the choice of selecting a drug from a doctor to a pharmacist, says Chandrakant Lahariya.
Most of the pharma units are failing in documentation, and validation processes, and many don't have full-fledged quality control laboratories.
Washington-based Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the representative body of US-based drug firms, has said it does not support the seizure of legitimate generic medicines meant for developing country destinations.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc's anti-migraine drug brand, Imitrex, is turning out to be a good revenue earner for Indian generic companies.
Dr Reddy's Laboratories has succeeded in developing a copycat or generic version of Pfizer's Lipitor, the world's largest selling drug which has sales of over $10 billion.
If you're a fan of the Transformer films already, you will be delighted with a hearty dose of nostalgia here but... Mayur Sanap adds a caveat.
'Whichever company offers better incentives, the chemist would prefer it.'
Devara's self-appointed guardian of the sea unleashing violence as a means to end violence is purely Junior NTR fan-tasy, observes Sukanya Verma.
The launch came after final approval from the US health regulator to manufacture the generic version of Lipitor at Ranbaxy's wholly owned Ohm Laboratories facility in New Brunswick, New Jersey, as well as market the product.
The US market for the drug is pegged at $1 billion. Cipla has been selling the product in the European market. It had won a similar case in the UK against GSK a couple of years ago.
Favivir is the second drug developed by Hetero after Covifor (Remdesivir) used in the treatment of COVID-19.
Even smaller companies like Torrent Pharma and Alembic file five to 10 ANDAs every year.
'There is not any negative connotation associated with it.'
The Indian company that acquires Merck Generics, the multinational drug maker's generics (non-patented) business, up for sale, will be able to compete against the top global players
But the newer entrants prove nimbler than the slowing pioneers.
The company is set to deliver the first set of 20,000 vials in two equal lots of 10,000 each, one of which will be immediately supplied to Hyderabad, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra, Hetero Healthcare said in a statement.
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The company's US subsidiary, Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc has launched its Ciprofloxacin for oral suspension in the US market in the strengths of 5 g/100 mL (250mg/5 mL) and 10 g/100 mL (500 mg/5 mL), Lupin said in a statement.
Terming the racial attacks on Indian students in Australia as 'generic', former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist has said that the country was safe for students.
This move could cost $299 million a year for Indian pharma players.
Is yet to decide about the partnership or acquisition route
Sarfira seems to be scene-to-scene copy of the original, which begs the question: Why re-do a film if there's nothing new to add, asks Mayur Sanap.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said that Bollywood actor Aamir Khan is welcome in the state to create awareness and popularise generic drugs among people.
'However, we have seen weakness in our active pharmaceutical ingredients business.'
The company's US-based subsidiary Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc has launched its generic Rabeprazole Sodium delayed-release tablets, 20 mg in the American market after having received approval to market it from the US Food and Drug Administration, according to a statement by Lupin.
The non-branded generic drugs (sold under chemical names such as cetrizene, omeprazole and nimusulide), which constitute about 8 per cent of the Rs 30,000 crore (Rs 300 billion) Indian pharmaceutical market, is currently not subjected to any such margin cap and according to a study done by the department some of them such are even sold at a margin as high as 1,000 per cent in the market.
In a release issued on February 13, FTC alleged that Cephalon's 'anti-competitive' scheme denies patients access to lower cost, generic versions of Provigil (modafinil) and forces consumers and other purchasers to pay hundreds of millions of dollars a year more for Provigil.
The west is faced with a daunting task on patent expiry, increasing challenges from generics, pipeline showing limited blockbusters, and in addition to that increasing pricing pressure.
As India's drug majors in this segment increasingly trip on American standards, increasing the scrutiny on their practices, their counterparts look up there.
After being raided by Federal officials, Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, India's largest pharmaceutical company, has been taken to court in the US by a consumer health group that supports the sale of low-priced generic medicines.
The increasing number of generic players tapping the US market for known molecules has resulted in pricing pressures and lean margins.
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But analysts see this as an encouraging shift of stance on part of Indian pharma companies that have so far been dependent on the patents challenge route.
As the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) is set to crack down on companies to ensure compliance with printing QR codes on top-selling brands to curb counterfeiting, top pharma companies say they welcome the regulator's mandate and that they are on track. They also view it as a positive step to ensure patient safety. Sheetal Arora, CEO of Mankind Pharmaceuticals, which has already adopted QR codes in 20 of their products, stated: "We strongly advocate for mandatory implementation of barcodes and QR codes on medicines as this initiative will not only protect patients but also strengthen the integrity of our healthcare system by reducing circulation of counterfeit drugs."
The Wall Street Journal has reported that the SEC has contacted many investment banks whose analysts cover generic drug-maker Mylan, asking about a meeting the company hosted last September with those analysts and a group of investors.
The United States Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday banned the import of more than 30 generic drugs manufactured by Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited alleging that poor quality control at the firm's factories could be harmful to users of these medications used to treat everything from high cholesterol to Type 2 diabetes to everyday allergies.
Germany's drug regulator has banned the sale of 80 generic medicines with immediate effect on the grounds that their clinical trials conducted by India's pharmaceutical research company GVK Biosciences were "insufficient".
Rajkummar Rao does the best with what he is given and he ably elevates the generic story-telling. Too bad that his performance remains the only takeaway from such an inspiring real-life story, notes Mayur Sanap.
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea filed by the West Bengal government challenging the Calcutta high court's order which directed a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the allegations of crimes against women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali.
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