APROPOS the editorial ‘Medicine policies’ (June 1). It is very encouraging if the federal and provincial governments will support the pharmaceutical industry with tax reductions and other related matters to manufacture raw materials, the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the country.

However, the pharmaceutical companies themselves should manufacture APIs for the production of dosis forms of medicines and not government agencies.

This requires acquisition and an ongoing upgrading of high grade and complex technical processes required for manufacturing pharmaceutical raw materials or APIs. The government policies should indeed encourage this to become commercially viable.

Private pharmaceutical companies should be able to not only do this for local consumption but also for export and make profits.

There is great competition in this sector from India and China and the export prices should be commercially feasible. Apart from this all the highly advanced technical equipment and the chemicals required for the synthesis of APIs in several steps should be available. This requires a functioning and viable chemical industry. Pharmaceutical companies should indeed start and try to synthesise some simple APIs to start with.

Several herbal medicines are already manufactured in the country, for example by the Hamdard Foundation.

Dr Syed Laik Ali
Bad Vilbel, Germany

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.