Several countries across continents have requested India to ease ban on pharmaceutical products citing acute shortage of a range of drugs at a time when novel coronavirus pandemic is spreading exponentially. These countries include the US, UAE and also the neighbouring nations in the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation).
India is the leading producer of generic drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the world. It is possible you are reading this product, API for the first time. But India is a leader in its manufacture.
APIs are used in manufacturing of a range of drugs including pain-killers, anti-malarial drugs, albuterol or inhalers, and sedatives like fentanyl used for patients on ventilators.
As the cases of novel coronavirus started climbing up in India in March, the government banned export of 26 API and drug formulations. The experts in India feared that continued export would create a shortage of medicines in India and hamper its fight to contain Covid-19 pandemic in the country, where most states don’t have robust public healthcare infrastructure.
India also banned export of anti-malarial drug hydroxy-chloroquine. This medicine is being administered to medical staff treating Covid-19 patients. Incidentally, US President Donald Trump has pitched anti-malarial drug as the game change in fight against novel coronavirus. However, the scientific community is not as enthusiastic as Trump on its effectiveness against this new virus.
By March 24, India had banned export sanitisers and all kinds of ventilators, that is, medical equipment such as artificial respiratory apparatus, oxygen therapy apparatus and breathing devices.The government’s decision to ban export of APIs and hydroxy-chloroquine was aimed at boosting supply in domestic hospitals but the move hit nations across continents. SAARC countries, Indonesia and UAE have formally requested India to allow export of hydroxychloroquine. This is multipurpose drug and used in treatment of several diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and lupus — an auto-immune disease about which many Indians heard for the first time in reports on the health condition of Sunanda Pushkar after her death.
The ban on export of APIs and medical equipment came at a time when Chinese drug companies were closed. Now, they have started opening up. But the reports about supplies made by Chinese pharmaceutical companies have pointed to complaints about quality of equipment.
This is bound to create doubts in the minds of decision-makers in many countries about the supply of APIs and other key drugs that they may wish to purchase from China in the view of export ban by India.
But this situation also poses a business threat to Indian companies. The same was highlighted on Wednesday at a meeting between the members of Indian industries and Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. The industry leaders requested the government allow export as they face the possibility of losing the markets to Chinese companies which are resuming their operation in post-Covid-19 situation.
Some reports suggest that the government may ease export of some of the drugs, equipment and APIs in order strike a balance between challenges of trade and healthcare. Additionally, India has spoken about a united fight by the international community against Covid-19 pandemic.
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