Curbs on drug exports as coronavirus threat rises

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 3

In the wake of coronavirus outbreak which is impacting the manufacturing and supply of medicines across the world, including India, the Government today restricted exports of 13 key active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and drugs made using these ingredients.

The APIs and medicines now under export restriction policy include paracetamol and its formulations; Vitamin B1, B6, B12 and their formulations; progesterone and its formulations plus antibiotic APIs like erythromycin salts, tinidazole, neomycin and drugs manufactured using these.

The Directorate of Foreign Trade placed export restrictions today on these APIs on the advice of the Department of Pharmaceuticals committee set up to review drug stock position after the novel coronavirus outbreak. India imports majority of APIs from China.

The committee under S Eshwara Reddy, Joint Drugs Controller in Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation said present stock-in hand of APIs may be sufficient for two to three months to manufacture formulations and added, “No need to panic so far as drug security is concerned.”

Based on the Committee’s suggestions, the Ministry of Chemicals today instructed National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) and state governments to ensure adequate supply of APIs (raw materials for drug making) and formulations at affordable prices in the market and to prevent black marketing, illegal hoarding, creating artificial shortages in the country.

NPPA has written to state Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries (Health) and state drug controllers requesting them to monitor the production and availability of APIs and formulations to prevent the black marketing and hoarding in their states and UTs.

The 13 API and formulations under export restrictions now are primarily made in China’s Hubei province, the Covid-19 epicentre. As much as 90% of all novel coronavirus infections worldwide are in Hubei.

The Government said most Chinese firms making pharmaceutical ingredients (excluding those in Hubei province) have resumed operations partially and will fully start working by March-end. There are no curbs on export of APIs from China, it said.

India imports two-thirds of APIs from China

• Besides paracetamol, drugs restricted for exports included common antibiotics metronidazole, and those used to treat bacterial and other infections as well as vitamin B1 and B12 ingredients
• A notification by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said the export of 26 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulations would require licence
• Though India is a source of about 20% of the world’s generic drug supply, pharma companies in the country are dependent on China for two-thirds of the chemical components needed to make them

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