NPPA Chairman sacked; Meanwhile, Harsh Vardhan says India shall showcase new drugs
The Times of India reported that the entire
idea of a central scheme for free drug distribution has been given a quiet
burial. Joint secretary (policy) in the health ministry Manoj Jhalani said that
there will be no separate central scheme for free drugs and diagnostics.
"Free drug provision will be done by
the states under the National Health
Mission (NHM). The Centre will financially incentivise states to start the
free drug scheme," Jhalani said.
Following this news, on April 9, 2015, Injeti
Srinivas, chairman of India's National
Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), has been moved from his post to the
position of director general of the Sports Authority of India. Srinivas,
who was appointed to the position in June of last year, will continue to hold
additional charge as NPPA chairman until "alternative arrangements are
made."
In July 2014, the NPPA implemented price
controls for more than 100 drugs used in the treatment of diabetes and
cardiovascular disorders, following the introduction of a new policy in 2013
regulating the prices of 652 medicines in the country, including 348 drugs
deemed essential. This past December, the NPPA capped the prices of 52
additional therapies under the Drugs Price Control Order.
In
protest of the changes, drugmakers and industry groups took the NPPA to court. The pricing regulator announced in September last year that it was
withdrawing previously issued guidelines permitting price caps on non-essential
therapies. The Delhi High Court had
asked the NPPA to meet with drugmakers in an attempt to resolve the issue.
However, even as the NPPA chairman is
sacked, Union Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan has promised
that India would be showcasing new drugs for malaria, osteoporosis and diabetes.
He also announced Central Drug
Research Institute (CDRI) is carrying out Investigational New Drug (IND)
studies on lead molecules for fracture-healing, cancers, thrombosis, malaria
and hyperglycemia.
Council
of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has a
track record in making drugs for kalaazar, filaria, leprosy and tuberculosis
available at affordable rates to the common man.
Recently IMTECH Chandigarh has developed a clot specific streptokinase.
IIIM,
Jammu has discovered natural product-based
potential medicine for rheumatoid arthritis.
IICB
Kolkata has developed an herbal extract for the
treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia.
He also announced that government would
soon set up the Biopharma Industry Incubator (BII) under the umbrella of CDRI
Lucknow.
Will
the changing face of the Indian Pharma sector mean increased prices of drugs?
Or will the government boost R&D while remembering the needs of the common
man?
Please send us your views and comments!
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