Director General (DG) of Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil)

The Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) has created a new post of Director General (DG) and appointed Dr P V Appaji as the new DG of the Council. Prior to this appointment, Dr Appaji had served as Executive Director (ED) of the Council for the past 8 years since 2004.

Raghuveer Kini has been appointed as the next Executive Director of the council. Earlier, Kini had served the council in the capacity of additional executive director since its inception. He is regarded as a well experienced and dynamic personality who is fully aware of all the activities of the Council.

Earlier, the Council did not have the Director General post, but as part of its internal review, the administration had decided to create the new post to forgo the growing work pressure on the ED. At the same time, it had also decided to honour the exemplary services of Dr Appaji and promote him to the next higher level as the DG.

The new DG will now focus his concentration on the policy matters of the council. Apart from devising policies for pharmaceutical export promotion, the DG will also supervise the over all functioning of the council. “Now, my job will be to focus more on policy matters. In the next one to two months we will organize a meeting and come out with a new frame work for our export activities,” said Dr Appaji.

On the upcoming activities of the council, Dr Appaji said, “As of now we are concentrating on organizing India Pavilion at 15th South East Asia Healthcare & Pharma Show in Malaysia. The event will be held from April 17-19, 2012. Apart from this, we are also attending the interactive meeting with duty drawback committee which is going to be held on April 12. We will put forth our views and suggestions to the committee,” said the new DG.

Since inception in 2003 the Council had been striving hard to promote the Indian pharmaceutical sector to the world markets. In its endeavour it had organized many national and international events, seminars and exhibitions. It had facilitated networking with world’s leading players to the Indian manufactures and had played a catalytic role in framing viable export policies and helped the government to understand industry point of view in resolving various issues pertaining to export regulations.

Sri Lanka assures better access to Indian pharmaceutical exporters

Sri Lankan health authorities have assured Indian pharma industry that the recent issues concerning the supply of sub-standard drugs would be settled amicably and the government will not resort to any harsh measures to ban the Indian companies.

This assurance was given by Sri Lankan Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena, while interacting with the select group of pharma companies here on Wednesday, under the aegis of the Pharmexcil. He was responding to the recent controversies regarding the suspension of tenders awarded to 10 Indian drug companies on the grounds of supplying substandard drugs, non-adherence to tender procedures and delaying deliveries.

The Sri Lankan Minister, while promising steps to ease the problems faced by the Indian exporters raised in the meeting, also sought help from the industry to strengthen the cooperation with his country. Indian industry urged the Minister not to target the entire industry in the name of a few companies which violated norms. Besides, issues concerning the exports were also raised in the meeting.

Earlier, the visiting minister also called upon the Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and took up different issues concerning the health ties between the two countries. Azad appreciated the progress made by Sri Lanka in Public Health and achieving reduction in IMR, MMR and Communicable Diseases burden. He mentioned the concrete steps being taken by India under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to strengthen the health infrastructure in the rural areas, particularly in backward, inaccessible and remote districts and said that these investments have started showing results in the form of declining maternal and infant mortality rates now.

The recent cooperation in the health sector between India and Sri Lanka were noted and this co-operation would only be further strengthened by this bilateral meeting. Government of India has supplied medical equipment for Jaffna Teaching Hospital in January 2011. Government of India is also supplying medical equipment to two General Hospitals in Killinochchi and Mullaitivu and helping with construction of 150 bed base hospital at Dickoya which started in March 2011. Government of India has also announced a gift of Bhabha Radiotherapy Machine to Government of Sri Lanka. Government of India will set up a month long limb re-fitment camp (Jaipur foot) in Jaffna this year.

The Sri-Lankan side sought further help in training of medical and paramedical personnel (Short Term Skill Up-Gradation; Long Term Degree Courses); advice and guidance in procurement procedures of medical equipment, devices and medicines (mostly generic drugs for their public health program) as nearly 80 per cent of the supplies comes from Indian pharma companies. Azad has assured full assistance to Sri Lanka in all issues raised by them.

Indian drug exporters may aid South Africa to combat AIDS

Indian drug exporters may get a big boost from South Africa, all thanks to a new USD 500 million proposal by the National Health Council of South Africa to provide critical treatment to all HIV and AIDS patients. CNBC-TV18's Sanjay Suri and Sandeep Srikanth report.

In South Africa alone over five million people -- men, women and children alike - are infected with HIV, of which only around 750,000 are already on treatment. Estimates suggest another half a million South Africans, and close to five million people across Africa need immediate treatment. Indian companies could throw them with a lifeline.

Skhumbuzo Ngozwana, Chairman, National Association of Pharma Manufacturers, said, "The bulk of the drugs used for treatment of patients are from Indian companies. As long as the company has the FDI accreditation or the qualification they are able to supply. So you find that in Africa a lot of Indian companies are already supplying products, rough estimate are about 60-70% across the board."

But it's not all smooth sailing for these firms. Ranbaxy has had serious run-ins with the US authorities over quality standards, and Aurobindo is in a court dispute over being denied a contract despite the lowest bid.

Vikash Salig, CEO, Dr Reddy's Laboratories (South Africa), said, "India is probably where Japan was in the 1960s and 70s, trying to establish itself in the global marketplace. Sadly one of the strategies that we find that emanate from vested interests and to some extent from innovator companies is to place concern around quality, safety and efficacy of generic products."
Patent-free generic drugs legally manufactured by Indian companies are at the heart of the dispute. And these drugs even seem to have a few African medical leaders -- and patients -- on their side.

"There is a growing acceptance that drugs from India are of very good quality, they are efficacious, they are safe, and people have no issues around quality, and of course they are affordable," Ngozwana added.

Clearly, all of Africa has the need and Indian companies have the means to meet that need. But there are all sorts of issues in the way, most of them clearly dubious. Indian companies, it seems, will have to fight their way to get the medicines through to those who desperately need them.

Pharmexcil Awards for Outstanding Export Performance

The Committee of Administration of the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council has decided to institute ‘Pharmexcil Export Awards’ for the outstanding export performance. There will be one Trophy and one Merit certificates and one Award for Emerging Exporter in each of the category covered under council

Caterories include:

• Drugs & Pharmaceuticals
• Formulations
• Bulk Drugs & Intermediates
• Herbal related Products
• Biotech Products
• Medical Devices
• Veterinary Products

Click here for more info on eligibility criteria and nominations.

Meeting Global Market Challenges- An interactive session with Exporters

Pharmexcil is organizing a Seminar titled “Meeting Global Market Challenges- An interactive session with Exporters” for its members on 27th June 2009 at Hotel GRT Grand, Chennai. The programme is scheduled from 9.30 am till 1.45 p.m. followed by lunch.

This interaction would be mainly focussing on
Ø Export potential of Indian Pharmaceuticals in global market place
Ø Regulatory issues and product registrations
Ø Export Credit
Ø Pre-shipment Inspection related issues.

In short the interaction will focus on tools to cope with current issues and problems confronting pharma companies, especially SMEs and will give them a forum to present their valuable feedback and views.

Members of PHARMEXCIL can participate in this Seminar and take the advantage of direct interaction with the experts who have been invited to speak on important topics of concern.

The registration fee is Rs500/- and can be paid through DD/at par Cheque in favour of Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council, payable at Hyderabad.

Here is the Registration Form and Tentative Programme schedule.

Filled in Registration forms are to be sent to rodelhi@pharmexcil.com by e-mail or Fax it to-011-41536658.