|
The Central government is resorting to all the measures and taking up several initiatives to make India a leading pharmaceuticals innovation hub by the year 2020.
According to Ashok Kumar, Union Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, it has been calculated that this aim would cost the country about 10,000 crore ($2 billion), for which a substantial public-private partnership would be required.
Mr. Kumar said at a conference, “Pharmaceuticals 2014: Will India leap forward,” organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in collaboration with the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) that as part of this effort, the Government would be taking action on four fronts. These included infrastructure and manpower, public-private partnership (PPP), financial incentives and models as well as a favourable regulatory model for drug/molecule discovery.
If seen from socio-economic welfare point of view, the proposal is expected to generate about five lakh high-end jobs for scientists and specialists, and also provide the country with low cost health care for chronic and life threatening ailments including some of the most ignored diseases.
Kumar said, “The global economic slowdown presents an opportunity for the Indian industry to work on low cost medicines, one of the key strengths that we have. The Jan Aushadhi campaign of the department has made available quality drugs at affordable prices through dedicated stores in some States, and this campaign will be extended to other States.”
The recently created Department of Pharmaceuticals has primarily been working towards the objective of providing medicines at an affordable price and has been assigned several new functions including promotion of research, education and training, PPP, international cooperation and inter sectoral cooperation.
According to Glenn Saldanha, Managing Director and CEO, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, and Chairman, National Pharmaceuticals Committee, FICCI, there would be less impact of economic slowdown no the pharmaceutical sector, although, it would see cost containment and its impact on R&D projects.
Glenn said, “The key trends prevailing in the industry today are many drugs going off patent, thereby opening up an opportunity for generics. With the pipeline for new products drying up leading to consolidation in the industry, some large pharmaceutical companies are being compelled to step into the generic segment. For Indian companies to capitalise on the opportunity of being global suppliers for generic drugs, there is a need to focus on quality and to maintain high standards for global acceptance.” The Hindu
March 19, 2009
|
