DOMESTIC APIs AND INTERMEDIATES-THE NEED OF THE HOUR

摘要

As I write this editorial, some of the current events that we are faced with in the pharmaceutical industry in INDIA, bears greatly on my mind. The exponential rise in the cost of a large number of APIs is causing great anguish and stress for formulation manufacturers. The rise in the cost of these APIs or their intermediates sourced from China is attributed as the reason for this increase. As a result, a number of essential drugs are experiencing shortages in various parts of our country. The year 2015 was declared as the year of ACTIVE PHARMACEUTICAL INGREDIENTS (APIs) by the Department of Pharmaceuticals. While we still await the announcement of concessions based on the multiple representations made to the various ministries, the current crisis maybe a god sent opportunity for the domestic API manufacturers to restart manufacturing a number of the APIs that were uneconomical due to price pressures from APIs produced in China.