Current Status of Availability
of Coronavirus Drugs in India
[Press
Note dated 3 March 2020]
Department
of Pharmaceuticals has constituted a committee under the chairmanship
of Dr. Eshwara Reddy, Joint Drugs Controller, Central
Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) to address the issues of drug security
in the country in the context of Novel Coronavirus outbreak in China.
The committee,
in its report, has mentioned that the present stock-inhand
of the APIs may be sufficient for 2 to 3 months to manufacture formulations and
also given certain recommendations. The committee further mentioned that there is
no need to panic so far as drug security is concerned.
Based
on the recommendations of the Committee, the department has issued necessary instructions
to National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Drugs Controller General of
India (DCGI) and State Governments to ensure adequate supply of APIs and formulations
at affordable prices in the market and to prevent black-marketing, illegal hoarding,
creating artificial shortages in the country. NPPA has also written to Chief Secretaries
of States with copies to Principal Secretaries Health and State Drug Controllers
requesting them to closely monitor the production and availability of APIs and formulations
to prevent the black marketing and hoarding in their States and UTs as well as to
ensure that there is no violation of provisions of Drugs (Prices Control) Order,
2013 with regard to compliance of ceiling prices/ permissible increase in prices
of scheduled/ non-scheduled formulations respectively. In this regard, Department
of Pharmaceuticals has written to DGFT to restrict exports of 13 API and formulations
made using these APIs. These APIs are primarily made in Hubei province of China.
As per
the latest available information, most of the Chinese companies manufacturing pharmaceutical
ingredients (excluding those in Hubei province) have now resumed operations partially
and expected to resume fully by end of March. There are no restrictions on the export
of APIs from China. The Chinese companies are willing to export to India, however
logistics sector has not yet resumed operations fully. It is observed from Port
offices of CDSCO that APIs are being imported from China. As per the information
received from port offices of CDSCO, 56 consignments of APIs are imported during
26th and 27th Feb 2020. Out of 56, 40 consignments are from China and rest are from
countries other than China.
Department of Pharmaceuticals, M/o Chemicals
& Fertilizers Government of India/03.03.2020