Efficacy of human albumin fuels demand

Hyderabad: The recent spurt in the demand for human albumin is due to the effective manner in which it has helped to treat chronic kidney failure, liver diseases, burns and also malnutrition. With cases of chronic kidney failure as high as 17.2 per cent and with liver diseases on a rise, experts opt for treatment by using albumin.

Also there has been an increase in the number of transplants hence the need for albumin. When the blood group of donor and recipient do not match, albumin is crucial. In these cases the plasma content in the recipient’s blood is drained out and albumin transfused so that the donated kidney is not rejected. There are three pharma companies supplying albumen in India of whom Reliance Life Sciences produces 6 lakh vials per annum. Baxter supplies 3 lakh vials while another lakh comes from other pharma companies in the market.

But even 9 lakh vials per annum are not enough. A senior drug control officer said, “The problem is that the supply is not sufficient. This is because there is already an existing backlog in the market and when there is new supply, the existing demand is taken care of but not the new ones. Due to this demand-supply gap there is a shortage despite efforts.” The three pharma companies have categorically stated to the National Pharma-ceutical Pricing Authority that price control is not the reason for the shortage but increasing demand.