HC judge Kirubakaran concerned over India’s dependency on China for medicinal ingredients

[10/8, 14:11] Sekarreporter 1: https://twitter.com/sekarreporter1/status/1314123614560555008?s=08
[10/8, 14:11] Sekarreporter 1: [10/8, 14:09] Sekarreporter 1: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/hc-judge-kirubakaran-concerned-over-indias-dependency-on-china-for-medicinal-ingredients/article32800734.ece/amp/
[10/8, 14:09] Sekarreporter 1: TAMIL NADU
HC judge Kirubakaran concerned over India’s dependency on China for medicinal ingredients
Mohamed Imranullah S.
CHENNAI: 08 OCTOBER 2020 11:47 IST
UPDATED: 08 OCTOBER 2020 12:03 IST

He says it acts as a handicap in responding to security breach by the neighbour
Justice N. Kirubakaran of the Madras High Court has expressed deep concern over India being dependent on one single neighbouring nation – China – for basic ingredients required for making medicines. “This dependency handicaps us in responding effectively to security and other breaches by the neighbour,” the judge said.

The judge made these observations in his 226-page judgement passed on a couple of writ petitions filed by Chennai-based Vinkem Labs, manufacturers of medicines for treating cancer. The petitioner had complained about lack of government support in carrying out generic research.

Hence, the judge ordered constitution of a committee comprising joint secretary-level officers from the Union Ministries of Pharmaceuticals and Finance in order to facilitate all necessary requirements, including fiscal needs, of the petitioner firm in carrying out its research on cancer cure.

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“Our country is not investing much on research and researchers are not encouraged. In view of lack of support for research, experts are compelled to migrate to other countries. We have already lost very capable brains to other countries. Therefore, it is time to retain the experts/scientists like petitioner by giving required support,” he said.

The judge said that there were three important limbs of medicine making – generic research and development (R&D), active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and formulations. India was once a pioneer in generics and had earned the distinction of being the pharmacy to the world.

However, gradually, on account of import of API requirements at cheap costs, the country had now declined to a mere formulations hub. “Thus, India’s API segment built over several decades has given way for cheap imported APIs, primarily from China, who were able to sell their APIs at one-fourth of their corresponding manufacturing cost in India.

“As a result, our country that had once built 99.7% self-reliance in APIs went on to import over 90% of its API requirements from China. The economic advantage of importing APIs has led India to lose its scientific edge and self-reliance in APIs and India now thrives as a mere Finished Dosage Hub, that is, a country that imports its API requirements and bundles them into finished dosages,” the judge lamented.

He went on to state that on account of this abdication of domestic segment, the patients in the country had to face issues such as proliferation of sub-standard drugs and unavailability of life saving drugs. At one stage, even the National Security Advisor had cautioned the government of the danger to our national security on account of this excess import dependence from a single nation, he added.

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