PIL to let desi manufacturers procure cancer drugs filed

Chennai: A Chennai-based pharmaceutical company has approached the Madras high court to direct the Central government to provide more preference to indigenous manufacturers in procurement of cancer drugs and ensure self reliance for seven critical Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) molecules in cancer treatment, which include common cancers in women and children.

Justice N. Kirubakaran before whom the petition filed by M.Perumal, managing director of Vinkem Labs Limited came up for hearing, suo motu impleaded the secretary to the department of scientific and industrial research, ministry of science and technology,  and directed them to file their response.

According to petitioner, cancer has become endemic and proliferating at alarming rates. Every 13th cancer patient was an Indian. Every 10 minutes we lose two women patients and every day 50 children to this dreaded disease. By 2030, the number of women patients estimated to be diagnosed with cancer was equal to that of the population of Denmark. The age bracket of patients afflicted with cancer was getting younger. “We could ill afford to forgo our self-reliance and world class facilities especially, at this juncture”, he added.

He said India was heavily relying on China for import of APIs, despite the availability of manufacturers in domestic with world class expertise and facility.

The import of APIs which was at 0.3 percent in 1991 steadily rose up to 75 percent in 2006 with China alone having 90 percent shares in the total imports.
In 2014, after the then National Security Advisor sounded caution bell on this issue, an expert committee was formed headed by scientist Dr. V.M. Katoch to suggest remedies.

Based on the recommendations of the committee, the government declared 2015 as the year of Indian APIs and vowed to implement the recommendations within 100 days besides constituting a separate ministry for pharmaceuticals. But, nothing has been materialised so far, he added.