Pharmaceutical units witness steep increase in prices of APIs
Ambika Sharma
Tribune News Service
Solan, April 15
The rising demand for paracetamol and vitamin B formulations has also increased the demand of their active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). With China dictating the price, the APIs have become dearer between 22 and 30%, thus enhancing the rate of drugs.
As many as four APIs have been listed as very critical, 10 as critical, five as very high and five as high due to their overwhelming demand since January for ailments such as cold, cough, throat-related infections and fever. They include antibiotics and analgesics.
According to sources, the rate of four APIs — paracetamol, ornidazole, azithromycin and nimesulide — has increased from 62% to 189% from January 14 to April 14. The rate of paracetamol has enhanced from Rs 262 per kg in January to Rs 450 per kg in March though it registered a marginal decline in April and was now available at Rs 425 per kg.
Apart from this, 10 APIs were rated as critical as their prices have shot up by 24% to 38% in the market in three-month period since mid-January. These include tinidazole, amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, clav avicel, diclofenac sodium, ofloxacin, clav syloid, clotrimazole, cifrofloxacin and dexamethasone sodium.
As many as five others have been listed as very high as their prices have increased from 21% to 24% in the market while five others fall in the high list where price rise has been between 12% and 20%.
“The concern of the pharmaceutical units is multifarious and they don’t manufacture at this juncture they will lose their clients. But as the cost of APIs has gone up, manufacturing drugs whose price is controlled by the government has become unviable,” said SL Singla, adviser, Himachal Drug Manufacturers Association.
He said the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) should re-examine the price of drugs in the changed scenario.
Singla said if no steps were taken soon, some key drugs could go out of shelves.
“Multivitamin APIs have also registered a steep increase in its prices as these drugs are immunity boosters and their consumption has gone up after the Covid-19 outbreak,” said production head of a pharma firm in Baddi.
Four APIs listed ‘very critical’
- With China dictating the price, the APIs have become dearer between 22% and 30%, thus enhancing the rate of drugs
- As many as four APIs have been listed as very critical, 10 as critical, five as very high and five as high due to their overwhelming demand since January
.
