ISLAMABAD: After a long controversy, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) has recommended a reduction in the price of Daclatasvir which will lead to the drug being imported, and smuggled, from India to be manufactured in Pakistan and sold at one third its price now.

Head of Drap’s Drug Pricing Committee (DPC) Amanullah Khan said the recommendation will be sent to the Prime Minister Office through the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) this week. After it is approved, a notification for the manufacturing of the medicine will be issued.

Daclatasvir is used in combination with Sofosbuvir and Ribavirin to treat Hepatitis C. Sofosbuvir was introduced in the US in Dec 2013 and has better cure rates than Interferon injections and has minimal side effects. This is given to patients for six months and results are even better if accompanied by a Daclatasvir tablet and the course reduces from six to three months.

A number of companies had applied for the manufacturing of the drug but Drap was not agreeing on the price due to which the medicine was being brought in from India with special permission and 60mg was sold for between Rs11,500 and Rs13,000. A large quantity of the medicine is also smuggled from India.

Companies were previously barred from production by Sindh High Court stay order

Mr Khan told Dawn the DPS has recommended 30mg Daclatasvir be sold for Rs2,700 and 60mg be sold at Rs4,600.

He said the smuggling of the drug will stop as soon as manufacturing of it is started in the country as it will then be sold for one third of its price now.

“Also, the quality of the medicine smuggled from India and their expiry dates are not known and people will therefore prefer using the Pakistani medicine,” he said.

A citizen who had petitioned in the Lahore High Court (LHC) and said citizens were inconvenienced due to the pending cases and was awarded a decision in his favour, Mian Aftan Ahmed said a number of companies had applied for manufacturing the drug in May 2015 which were approved in May 2016.

“The Sindh High Court gave a stay order at the end of 2016 saying new molecules cannot be registered. I applied to the LHC then. The Supreme Court also directed for the issue to be addressed due to which the DPC recommended a price for the medicine on April 10,” he said.

DCP’s Mr Khan said it was not possible to recommend a price for Daclatasvir due to the Sindh High Court’s stay order and that the price was recommended after the LHC ruling.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2017