Indian companies are unable to raise prices because 35 per cent of the drugs sold in the country come under the government's price control order.
An Indian pharmaceutical company is gearing up to sell a cheap version of the leading patented antiviral flu drug Tamiflu to emerging economies, in a move that will pitch intellectual property rights against affordable access to medicines.
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The Drug (Prices Control) Order implemented in May last year brought into its purview 652 packs of 348 formulations.
Charging the multinational companies with making several drugs beyond the reach of the poor, visiting Commerce Minister Anand Sharma today asserted it is the Indian generics which have challenged such a "suffocating stranglehold" and made the medicines affordable.
The smaller players in the business - combined under the Small Pharmaceutical Industries Confederation - have raised objections to the proposed Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices.
Pharmaceutical companies, which are sending across medical aid for flood affected people in Jammu and Kashmir, claim to be facing difficulties in distribution of drugs.
Astronauts aboard the space station have found themselves facing a foe far tinier than any rogue asteroid: A joint study by IIT-Madras and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory -- under Principal Investigator Kasthuri Venkateswaran -- has revealed that strains of the bacterial species Enterobacter bugandensis, a multi-drug resistant superbug, have been hitting the gym in the microgravity crucible. Though the situation at the ISS is slightly unsettling, holding funeral dirges would be an overkill, says Kumar Abishek.
The panel of representatives from various ministries and chaired by B K Singh, director, department of pharmaceuticals, has suggested the government negotiate prices of patented medicines based on reference prices of such drugs in other countries such as Britain, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand.
Companies asked to give data for three batches instead of one; move may lead to significant rise in development cost of generics
India's Supreme Court in April rejected a patent for Novartis AG's cancer drug Glivec, saying it was an amended version of a known molecule called imatinib, setting the precedent for more such cases in the country.
The Delhi High Court on Friday stayed the ban on some fixed dose combination (FDC) drugs of Glaxo SmithKline, Wockhardt and Laboratories Griffon but said action against their sale could be taken in the absence of valid sale and marketing licence.
A team of central agencies and the Uttar Pradesh drug department had carried out an inspection at the firm's office in Noida on December 29 and taken six more samples for testing.
Multinational drug manufacturers such as Pfizer and DSM are increasingly getting into contract manufacturing alliances with emerging bulk drug makers in the country, bypassing established players such as Ranbaxy and Dr Reddy's.
Days after medical representatives said their employers were flouting the government's drug-pricing norms, the pharmaceutical industry has decided to clip their wings. These companies want them to be no longer recognised as "workmen," a classification that gives them the right to form trade unions.
The claims were made after the Income Tax department had on July 6 raided 36 premises of the Bengaluru-based Micro Labs Ltd. across nine states.
The pharmaceutical and the consumer durables sectors, which depend on China for imports, have not been impacted yet due to unrest in China with people protesting against lockdowns. But the lockdown could have an impact on the supply of components used in consumer durables if it continues for the next fortnight. In the pharmaceutical industry, Indian players import 66-70 per cent of their bulk drug requirements from China.
Now, the companies need to get National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority's nod for changing medicine composition. If they flout norms, government will take penal action.
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The Drugs Controller General of India is considering the recommendations of its advisory body to revoke the suspension of the sale of analgin-based medicines in the country.
In a letter to health minister Harsh Vardhan, the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, an industry body representing leading pharma companies, including Sun Pharma, Lupin, Dr Reddy's Labs, Cadila Health and Glenmark, stressed the need for an out-of-court settlement with health activists fighting for the rights of clinical trial participants.
Even as the domestic pharmaceutical industry is exploring new markets in Latin America and the Commonwealth of Independent States, exports to countries in Africa are declining.
According to highly placed sources in NPPA, the reduction in prices following the latest exercise will range between six and 53 per cent.
Industry is gathering scientific data to approach the regulator, DCGI, for a review of the suspension order.
As part of the charm offensive, New Delhi has invited global regulators -- including the FDA -- to visit Indian production units to get first-hand evidence of measures taken to ensure the quality of locally manufactured generics.
The Clinical Research sector is emerging as an attractive option for science graduates, doctors, management/ IT professionals, alike.
Experts believe the move will have little impact given limited production of generic drugs and authority of doctors in prescribing medicines.
Samples of the cough syrup have been taken from the manufacturing premises in Noida and sent to the Regional Drugs Testing Laboratory (RDTL) in Chandigarh for testing, Mandaviya said.
Lobby group tells USTR it has got assurance from India on compulsory licensing.
This move could cost $299 million a year for Indian pharma players.
Government has initiated action against six pharmaceutical companies, including Cadilla, Wockhardt and Lupin, for overpricing medicines and launching unapproved formulations in the market.
Since two cases against clinical trials started in SC, govt is overly cautious.
The profit margins of multinational companies importing medicines into India have been hit with the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority starting strict scrutiny of price approval applications for imported products.
