Indian medicine firms sleep over Swine Flu

Companies not investing in expensive research as they feel this is 'one-off' disease

Indian medicine firms sleep over Swine Flu

Companies not investing in expensive research as they feel this is 'one-off' disease

As if the Swine Flu was not enough to trigger a panic in the country, the Indian pharmaceutical industry has added its worrisome bit. None of the Indian pharma companies are researching to develop Swine Flu antidotes.
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"Diseases like Swine Flu happen once in a while. Companies don't want to take the risk of investing in expensive medical research," said a senior official from IPCA Labs, a leading pharmaceutical company, wishing anonymity.
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He informed that the industry had reacted in a similar fashion during the Chikungunya and plague attacks which crippled many lives in Rajasthan in 2006 and Maharashtra in 1996, respectively.

"Research and development is a costly affair which needs some kind of guarantee that the disease will sustain till the medicine is developed, tested and launched in the market," said another industry expert.

Meanwhile, importing medicine from the West is the only solution for India, as the country has been put on Alert Level Five by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which means that there could be a sudden outbreak of the disease infecting a large population.

"It can go to Level Six if someone actually falls ill. Level Five is a dangerous situation but not fatal," said the General Secretary of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Dr Dharam Prakash.

"Big Indian medicine importers recently held a meeting and decided to stock up on antidotes in the country. But none of them are carrying out any R&D activity.

For the time being there is enough stock of medicines in the country," said Kunal Bhardwaj, area sales manager, Alembic Pharmaceuticals.
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However, he did not clarify whether the stock will be sufficient in case of a sudden outbreak of the disease which has killed thousands of people worldwide, mostly because of non-availability of medicines.

However, this reaction is not unique to the Indian pharma industry alone. Experts say this is the trend world over.

Swine Flu antidotes are being developed only by big multi-national companies and most poor countries have to import it.

Airports secure

Surveillance teams of doctors have been deployed at all airports in the country to screen passengers and take necessary measures.

As soon as a passenger shows any symptom of the Swine Flu he or she will be put under observation and tests will be conducted to ascertain the problem.

Only confirmed cases will get medication. In Delhi, a nodal centre has been established at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital to keep a tab over the situation.