There is no plan regarding a ban on the exports of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) at the moment, clarified Sudarshan Jain, secretary-general of Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, after reports indicated that a high-level committee constituted by the Department of Pharmaceuticals of the government is contemplating a restriction on exports.
“We are closely monitoring the situation, taking stock of the inventory, how we can service the patients’ needs and I don’t think there is any decision at this particular moment regarding exports. The critical task at the moment is to take the inventory of the situation, evaluate alternate sources and then keep on monitoring the situation. At this moment, there are no suggestions to stop the exports of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs),” said Jain.
The reports claimed that restrictions may be put on crucial antibiotics and vitamins in the light of the coronavirus outbreak.
“The biggest hit will be taken up by cephalosporin or Penicillin G manufacturer because almost most of the companies in India have shut down their shops and they source it from China because they are cheapest there,” Surajit Pal, pharma analyst at Prabhudas Lilladher, said.
Reacting to the news, Vijay Garg, joint MD of IOL Chemicals, said, “If the export ban is there then problems definitely will come but as far as IOL is concerned, we are majorly into pain management. Our flagship product is Ibuprofen. So we are very minimal dependent on China and moreover the product which we are importing from China is not in the epicentre of the outbreak. We are covered for six months plus we have an alternative. Definitely the problem will come only in antibiotics or in diabetics where the dependence is much more.”