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<ul><li>Confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection cross 12 lakhs around the globe with the number of deaths reported nearing 70,000. </li><li>The malignant virus invades more than 200 countries and the demand for drugs and medical equipment surge fast. </li><li>The anti-malarial drug <keyword id="4751090" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hydroxychloroquine">Hydroxychloroquine</keyword> is seen as a game changer in treating COVID-19 infection. Here are the basics of this life-saving drug you must know.</li></ul>In a recent conversation with the Prime Minister of India, Donald Trump, the American President requested India to supply them huge quantities of Hydroxychloroquine. Addressing the press, Trump also warned of retaliation measures if India declined the request as it did to other countries in the face of perceiving a demand for the drug with the cases mounting up in the country too. What is <keyword id="8947192" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hydroxychloroquine-medicine">Hydroxychloroquine medicine</keyword> Hydroxychloroquine can be described as a racemic mixture comprising of R and S enantiomer. We can compare Hydroxychloroquine with chloroquine, an aminoquinoline. This is a commonly prescribed medicine in treating uncomplicated malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and chronic discoid lupus erythematosus. Hydroxychloroquine is also used to address the prophylaxis of malaria in places where chloroquine resistance is unlikely. Developed during World War II as a derivative of quinacrine, this drug is said to have much lesser side effects. The FDA approved this drug on 18 April 1955. In the face of COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA has sanctioned an emergency authorization for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. This authorization gives room for the unapproved use of these drugs in treating the COVID-19 cases in the light of the critical public emergency seen around. The effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in remedying the COVID-19 infection is yet to be proved though this drug is administered in the treatment in a large scale as on date. The American experiment Towards the end of March 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration provisionally approved the use of hydroxychloroquine in treating COVID-19 patients. Since then, the medical community in New York has been administering this drug to the novel coronavirus infected patients in combination with some other drugs. This experiment with hydroxychloroquine happening in the epicenter of the US has given a hint to Trump, the American President that this anti-malarial drug could be a game changer in treating COVID-19 infection. He said that this drug was giving successful results and if the trend continued, it would be a gift from heaven. The country had then quickly stocked up about 29 million doses of hydroxychloroquine besides asking India to supply the drug to them. India’s policy on hydroxychloroquine supplies to the world Last month, India had imposed a ban on the export of hydroxychloroquine. However, India is most likely to life the ban and clear the pending international orders for the drug after meeting the local requirements. It is also said that after perceiving the humanitarian situation of the COVID-19 scenario, the Department of Pharmaceuticals and Ministry of External Affairs will decide whether to fulfill the pending international orders for hydroxychloroquine. See Also - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-lifts-partial-ban-on-hydroxychloroquine-after-donald-trump-warns-of-retaliation-if-pm-modi-doesnt-help-the-us/articleshow/75022401.cms">India lifts partial ban on hydroxychloroquine medicine</a>

What is Hydroxychloroquine medicine and how it could be a game changer

New York, Apr 7 () A New Jersey-based generic pharmaceutical company, co-founded by two Indian-Americans has donated millions of hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets to Louisiana, New York and Texas to help COVID19 patients.Amneal Pharmaceuticals has pledged to donate 400,000 hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets to the State of Louisiana to help respond to the COVID-19 health emergency, according to a press release dated March 30 from Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry.However, the US government's top infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci has been vocal about his concern that there is not enough evidence to suggest that Hydroxychloroquine is the drug that cures COVID19.The release said that the large donation will go toward clinical trials and patient treatment in Louisiana.Hydroxychloroquine, an old and inexpensive drug used to treat malaria, is seen as a viable therapeutic solution by President Trump to coronavirus that has so far killed more than 10,000 Americans and infected over 3.6 lakh within weeks. Bridgewater, New Jersey-headquartered Amneal was founded in 2002 by Chirag Patel and Chintu Patel, who are also the Co-CEOs. "Amneal has donated millions of hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets in total to states other than Louisiana, including New York and Texas, and stated they will provide more as needed. The company also announced donations of products directly to hospitals across the country," the release added.The press release from the Louisiana Attorney General quoted Chirag and Chintu Patel as saying that "all of us at Amneal are committed to supporting our communities in the global fight against COVID-19. We are working with urgency to assist the hardest hit states and hospitals around the country to benefit as many patients as possible during this critical time."Amneal's hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, childhood arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases. Hydroxychloroquine is not FDA-approved for the treatment of COVID-19; but it has been identified as a possible treatment for COVID-19, and the US Government has requested its immediate availability, the release said.Landry thanked Amneal for the donation and said "it is important we all work together to help solve the COVID-19 crisis." The Louisiana State University School of Medicine is working to launch two different clinical trials using hydroxychloroquine in relation to COVID-19. One trial will utilise hydroxychloroquine on those who have significant COVID-19 disease.The other trial protocol will use and test the drug as a preventative measure for those healthcare workers on the front lines battling the epidemic. Trials will be conducted at the University Medical Center in New Orleans and at the LSU Medical School locations in Baton Rouge and Lafayette.Dean of LSUHSC School of Medicine Steve Nelson said the donation will allow them to conduct clinical trials examining how hydroxychloroquine may help clear the virus from the lungs of infected patients and to potentially help shield healthcare workers who are on the front lines treating patients."The hydroxychloroquine donation by Amneal comes at an important time. The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy has noted serious concerns over the availability of this drug and has issued specific guidance on the dispensing of the drug, including its March 25th guidance noting that it should be dispensed for COVID-19 when the prescription bears a COVID-19 diagnosis," the release said. YAS PMSPMS

Pharma company founded by Indian-Americans donates hydroxychloroquine tablets in US

(Eds: Adding more info) New Delhi, Apr 7 () India is the biggest manufacturer of <keyword id="4751090" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hydroxychloroquine">hydroxychloroquine</keyword>, the anti-malarial drug that is being touted as 'game-changer' in the fight against COVID-19 and is being aggressively sought by US President Donald Trump. The country has the capacity to quickly ramp up the output of hydroxychloroquine. Days after it added the drug to the list of more than two dozen APIs that cannot be exported while officials get a handle on how much will be needed for COVID-19 outbreak in the country, India on Tuesday agreed to lift the ban after Trump sought supplies for the US. India manufactures 70 per cent of the world's supply of hydroxychloroquine, according to Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) secretary-general Sudarshan Jain. The country has a production capacity of 40 tonnes of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) every month, implying 20 crore tablets of 200 mg each. And since the drug is also used to auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, manufacturers have good production capacities that can also be ramped up. Ipca Laboratories, Zydus Cadila and Wallace Pharmaceuticals are top pharma companies manufacturing HCQ in India. Jain says the production capacity is sufficient to meet the current demand and if the need arises, the companies are committed to ramping up production. Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had reportedly placed an order for around 10 crore tables of HCQ with Ipca laboratories and Zydus Cadila. The drug is not manufactured in developed nations such as the US because of non-existent malaria. Hydroxychloroquine is very similar to chloroquine, one of the oldest and best-known anti-malarial drugs, but with lesser side-effects. It can be bought over the counter and fairly inexpensive. But its purchase and use has been severely restricted as it was selectively used in the treatment of coronavirus because of its antiviral properties. India gets the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) that is used to manufacture HCQ from China and supplies so far have been steady. As much as 70 per cent of all the APIs needed by India to manufacture drugs come from China. After Trump stated that the US could "retaliate" if India does not release stocks of the drug, Indian officials said exports of hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol will be allowed depending on availability of stock after meeting domestic requirements and existing orders. Last month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) partially lifted a three-year-old 'import alert' on Ipca's two plants to import the medicine. Zydus Cadila has also received an order from the US. Pharma industry officials said the country has enough stock of HCQ and companies were ready to ramp up the capacity to meet domestic requirements as well as exports. On March 25, India had banned export of HCQ and added it to a list of more than two dozen APIs that can no longer be exported. India is the largest exporter of the drug. Officials said India would export the drug on a case-by-case basis after meeting all the domestic requirements. "The Government has withdrawn the restrictions on 12 products and its formulations. Various scenarios are being assessed and it will be the endeavour to meet both the domestic demand and export obligation for Paracetamol and hydroxychloroquine," Jain said. The objective is to minimise speculative buying and hoarding in these trying times and ensure balance in the distribution for patients and segments who need them, he added. In a similar vein, Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association (IDMA) Executive Director Ashok Kumar Madan said: "India needs around 24 million tablets per year as on date for the three indications --- malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis, it was being used". India currently has an annual installed capacity of around 40 metric tonnes of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) of hydroxychloroquine. With this capacity, "we can make around 200 million tablets of 200 mg", he added. So this indicates that India currently has spare available capacity. Now, "we have to see how much would the country's requirements for the drug would grow for both treatment and prevention of COVID-19. The companies have already started ramping the capacity." The major API makers for the drug in the country are Zydus, Ipca and Mangalam Drugs. The major formulation makers of hydroxychloroquine are Ipca, Zydus, Wallace Pharmaceuticals, and Cipla, Madan said. India exported hydroxychloroquine API in April-January 2019-20 period worth USD 1.22 billion. During the same period exports of formulations made from hydroxychloroquine were at USD 5.50 billion. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommended HCQ be used as a preventive medication for COVID-19 high-risk group. It has also recommended the use of the drug for those involved in the care of 'suspected or confirmed cases of the coronavirus and for asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory-confirmed patients, apart from healthcare workers who are involved in the treatment of COVID-19'. Ipca is the drug's top manufacturer globally. Each COVID-19 patient reportedly needs 14 tablet course and so the 10 crore pills ordered by the government can potentially treat over 71 lakh people. AKT RR ANZ BAL

India biggest producer of 'game-changer' hydroxychloroquine drug; has enough capacity

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US now has 66 million excess anti-malaria pills after <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hydroxychloroquine-emergency-use-authorization-revoked-by-fda-2020-6">the FDA U-turned</a> on <keyword id="1404150" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Chloroquine">chloroquine</keyword> and <keyword id="4751090" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Hydroxychloroquine">hydroxychloroquine</keyword>.</li><li>The <keyword id="6354656" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="fda">FDA</keyword> said the drugs were likely ineffective in treating COVID-19, and could be dangerous. It previously allowed the drugs to be used in hospitalized <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> patients.</li><li>The government has sent out 31 million hydroxychloroquine tablets to state agencies, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/16/us/politics/trump-hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus.html?action=click&amp;module=Top%20Stories&amp;pgtype=HomepageHomepage">The New York Times reported</a>, and now has 63 million left over, alongside 3 million chloroquine pills.</li><li>Officials are now trying to figure out what to do with the excess drugs, and are working to "determine to available options," the Department of Health and Human Services said.</li><li>Dr. Rick Bright, the former head of the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), said they "should be destroyed."</li></ul>The US is sitting on a pile of 66 million anti-malaria pills after they were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hydroxychloroquine-emergency-use-authorization-revoked-by-fda-2020-6">scrapped as a treatment for COVID-19</a> by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).The FDA approved chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for use on hospitalized COVID-19 patients on March 28 but <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hydroxychloroquine-emergency-use-authorization-revoked-by-fda-2020-6">revoked it</a> on Monday, less than three months later, following debate over their <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hydroxychloroquine-fails-to-prevent-coronavirus-study-in-nejm-2020-6">efficacy</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fda-guidelines-on-taking-hydroxychloroquine-to-treat-coronavirus-2020-5">safety</a>.<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/138946/download"></a>The drugs "are unlikely to be effective in treating COVID-19" and can result in "serious" heart-related side effects, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/138946/download">the FDA said</a>. As of Monday, the US government had distributed 31 million hydroxychloroquine tablets from the Strategic National Stockpile to state health agencies, a Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/16/us/politics/trump-hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus.html?action=click&amp;module=Top%20Stories&amp;pgtype=HomepageHomepage">told The New York Times.</a><div type="image" title="los angeles california coronavirus hospital" height="750" width="1500" msid="76422791" hostid="261"></div>Sixty-three million hydroxychloroquine tablets remain in federal storage.Additionally, none of the 3 million doses of chloroquine gifted to the US by the German pharma giant Bayer in March were ever distributed, The Times reported.It is not yet known what will become of the federal stockpile.Officials are working with the drug donors to "determine the available options" for the excess pills, a HHS spokesperson told The Times.Dr Rick Bright, the former head of the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), <a href="https://twitter.com/RickABright/status/1272676989074276352">tweeted on Monday that the drugs</a> "should never have been brought into our country and should be destroyed."Hydroxychloroquine is still approved for use to treat malaria by the FDA, but it is unlikely that the US population will require as many as 66 million pills.<div type="image" title="U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a roundtable discussion on &quot;America's seniors&quot; in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 15, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis" height="1967" width="3934" msid="76422794" hostid="261"></div>Trump, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fda-guidelines-on-taking-hydroxychloroquine-to-treat-coronavirus-2020-5">who took hydroxychloroquine for two weeks</a>, did not approve of the FDA's decision to revoke the emergency waiver, saying on Monday it "certainly didn't hurt me."Peter Navarro, Trump's trade adviser, told The Times on Monday that the FDA U-turn was "a Deep State blindside by bureaucrats who hate the administration they work for."In May, France <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/france-bans-hydroxychloroquine-for-treating-covid-19-2020-5">banned the use of hydroxychloroquine</a> to treat COVID-19, while the UK was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-uk-buying-donald-trump-hydroxychloroquine-tablets-treatment-covid-malaria-2020-5">seeking out 16 million pills</a> in case it turns out to be a successful treatment.

The US now has 66 million surplus anti-malaria pills after the FDA revoked an emergency waiver allowing chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The UK government is seeking to buy 16 million <keyword id="4751090" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Hydroxychloroquine">hydroxychloroquine</keyword> tablets in case the drug proves to be an effective <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> treatment.</li><li>President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> claimed this week that he regularly takes the drug, despite it not being proven to either prevent or treat, the virus.</li><li>Scientists have warned that the anti-malarial drug could have adverse effects if self-administered.</li><li>UK scientists are carrying out tests to see if the drug could be a successful treatment.</li></ul>The UK government is seeking to purchase 16 million hydroxychloroquine tablets in case claims by Donald Trump that the anti-malarial drug is an effective treatment against the coronavirus, prove to be right.Trump on Monday said that he had been taking the drug every day for 10 days, despite medical experts warning that it is not proven to be an effective treatment for the COVID-19 virus and could have damaging effects on some patients."I take it," <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/president-trump-says-hes-been-taking-hydroxychloroquine-2020-5?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump told reporters</a>. "I would've told you that three, four days ago, but we never had a chance because you never asked me the question."Prominent US doctor Dr. Manny Alvarez has described Trump's statement as "highly irresponsible." "In most hospitals including mine, we're not using chloroquine in the treatment of COVID patients at the present time, and we have one of the largest populations of COVID admissions in our medical center," he said.A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister <keyword id="6380867" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="boris-johnson">Boris Johnson</keyword> on Tuesday sought to distance the UK government from Trump's decision, telling reporters: "It's not something which our own medical experts are recommending."However, despite this, Johnson's government is inviting offers from pharmaceutical companies to provide 16 million tablets of Hydroxychloroquine, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/19/uk-to-test-hydroxychloroqine-as-coronavirus-treatment?utm_source=POLITICO.EU&amp;utm_campaign=3b36160ced-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_05_20_06_11&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_10959edeb5-3b36160ced-190121793ed-190121793" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian newspaper reports.</a>The contract will be put out to tender on Friday, with UK scientists planning to test the drug and distribute it to the general public if it proves to be an effective treatment for the virus.One source with knowledge of the contract told The Guardian that the drug was being bought in bulk in case it proved to be an effective treatment."All of the drugs being purchased can be used to treat other conditions too so they don't really go to waste if they aren't proved effective for COVID," the source said.The UK government is reportedly concerned that Trump's endorsement could trigger a worldwide shortage of the drug, which is used to treat other conditions.The request is part of a contract worth £35 million, with the UK government planning to purchase over 33 million tablets of various drugs from pharmaceutical companies, as it tries to identify potential treatments for the COVID-19 disease.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jama-nejm-studies-on-hydroxychloroquine-for-coronavirus-patients-2020-5">Business Insider</a> has previously reported that two major studies found that hydroxychloroquine was not effective for treating COVID-19.Two observational studies, published in the <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa2012410">New England Journal of Medicine</a>and the <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2766117">Journal of the American Medical Association</a>, found that from thousands of hospitalized coronavirus patients, those who got the drug did not do any better or worse than those who didn't get it.The JAMA study also found that those who received hydroxychloroquine combined with the antibiotic azithromycin had a higher rate of cardiac arrest.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-uk-buying-donald-trump-hydroxychloroquine-tablets-treatment-covid-malaria-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

The UK is bulk-buying millions of hydroxychloroquine tablets in case Trump is right that it works against the coronavirus

By Lalit K Jha Washington, Apr 8 () An Indian American-owned pharma firm has pledged to donate 3.4 million Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate tablets to some of the key COVID-19 battleground states, including New York and Louisiana, joining the war against the dreaded coronavirus which by Tuesday had taken lives of more than 12,800 people in the US alone. Owned by philanthropic billionaire Chirag and Chintu Patel, New Jersey-based Amneal Pharmaceuticals, which is one of the largest US-based manufacturers, has also announced ramping up production of Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate at several of its manufacturing sites and expects to produce approximately 20 million tablets between now and mid-April.Those tablets will be made available nationwide through Amneal's existing retail and wholesale customers, as well as through direct sales to larger institutions in need, the company said. Amneal has donated two million tablets of 200mg Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate to New York, and one million to Texas to be used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. It is ready to provide more as needed. It is also donating and providing products directly to hospitals across the country, the company said. Amneal has also announced donation of 400,000 Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate tablets to Louisiana."All of us at Amneal are committed to supporting our communities in the global fight against COVID-19," said Chirag and Chintu Patel, Co-Chief Executive Officers of Amneal."We are working with urgency to assist the hardest hit states and hospitals around the country to benefit as many patients as possible during this critical time," they said in a joint statement, issued by the Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry."It is important we all work together to help solve the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis. We must come together as Louisianans and as Americans. This donation from Amneal demonstrates their strong effort to be a good corporate citizen in our nation," Landry said.Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate was first synthesized in 1946 and is in a class of medications historically used to treat and prevent malaria. According to Louisiana State Government, Amneal's Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate tablets are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, childhood arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases. Hydroxychloroquine is not FDA-approved for the treatment of COVID-19; but it has been identified as a possible treatment for it, and the US government has requested its immediate availability."This is a crucial time in the global fight against COVID-19," Chirag and Chintu Patel said in a company press release."With an existing supply of Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate and our ability to quickly accelerate production, we are humbled to be able to assist the hardest hit states and hospitals around the country to benefit as many patients as possible," the two brothers said. Landry said that Amneal's donation is one step toward trying to find treatments and cures for this epidemic. "Right now, there are no silver bullets. We must remain vigilant against the spread of this virus," he said.The Louisiana State University School of Medicine is working to launch two different clinical trials using hydroxychloroquine in relation to COVID-19. One trial will utilize Hydroxychloroquine on those who have significant COVID-19 disease. The other trial protocol will use and test the drug as a preventative measure for those healthcare workers on the front lines battling the epidemic. Trials will be conducted at the University Medical Center in New Orleans and at the LSU Medical School locations in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, a media release said. LKJ RAXRAX

Indian American's US pharma firm donates 3.4 M Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate tablets

Yangon, May 5 () India on Tuesday provided 200,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets and other medical equipment to Myanmar to aid its fight against the deadly coronavirus.Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Saurabh Kumar handed over the medical supplies to the officials of the Ministry of Health and Sports at Yangon Airport, the Indian embassy said in a press statement.Besides the 200,000 antimalarial hydroxychloroquine tablets, the medical supplies include surgical gloves, body bags, minor surgical sets and thermal scanners."The government of India stands in solidarity with the people and the government of Myanmar in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic," the statement said.The medical supplies are reflective of the united effort needed to combat this disease, it said."The contribution is indicative of the traditionally warm and friendly ties between India and Myanmar, and would augment Myanmar's determined efforts to fight the pandemic," it said. According to the Johns Hopkins University data, Myanmar has so far reported 161 COVID-19 cases and 6 deaths. RS RS

COVID-19: India gives 200,000 HCQ tablets, other medical supplies to Myanmar

New Delhi, April 7 () Indian pharma industry on Tuesday said there is enough stock of hydroxychloroquine in the country, and drug firms are ready to ramp up the production to meet domestic as well as export requirements.India has decided to partially lift the ban on the export of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine in sync with its global commitment to deal with coronavirus pandemic.On March 25, India had banned the export of hydroxychloroquine in the midst of concerns that the drug could be used to fight COVID-19.India is the largest exporter of the drug.Officials said India would export the drug on a case-by-case basis after meeting all the domestic requirements."India manufactures 70 per cent of the world's supply of hydroxychloroquine. Companies like Zydus Cadila and IPCA are the major manufacturers of hydroxychloroquine in the country," Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) Secretary General Sudarshan Jain told .The production capacity is sufficient to meet the current demand. If the need arises, the companies are committed to ramp up production, he added."The government has withdrawn the restrictions on 12 products and its formulations. Various scenarios are being assessed and it will be the endeavour to meet both the domestic demand and export obligation for Paracetamol and hydroxychloroquine," Jain said.The objective is to minimise speculative buying and hoarding in these trying times and ensure balance in distribution for patients and segment who need them, he added.In similar vein, Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association (IDMA) Executive Director Ashok Kumar Madan said: "India needs around 24 million tablets per year as on date for the three indications --- malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, it was being used".India currently has an annual installed capacity of around 40 metric tonne of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) of hydroxychloroquine. With this capacity, "we can make around 200 million tablets of 200 mg," he added.So this indicates, that India currently has spare available capacity. Now, "we have to see how much would the country's requirements for the drug would grow for both treatment and prevention of COVID-19. The companies have already started ramping the capacity," Madan said.Hydroxychloroquine has suddenly come into limelight after the recommendation for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19, he added. The major API makers for the drug in the country are Zydus, Ipca and Mangalam Drugs. The major formulation makers of hydroxychloroquine are Ipca , Zydus, Wallace Pharmaceuticals and Cipla, Madan said.India exported hydroxycholoroquine API worth USD 1.22 billion in April-January 2019-20. During the same period exports of formulations made from hydroxycholoroquine was at USD 5.50 billion. RR AKT BAL

Enough capacity in country to meet hydroxychloroquine demand: Industry

Port Louis, Apr 15 () In a humanitarian gesture, India on Wednesday gifted life-saving drugs, including Hydroxychloroquine tablets, to Mauritius and Seychelles to help them deal with the coronavirus pandemic that has infected 2 million people worldwide.Mauritius Vice Prime Minister Leela Devi Luchoomun Dookun received the consignment of half a million Hydroxychloroquine tablets that arrived here on Wednesday evening through a special Air India cargo flight from Delhi, the Indian High Commission in Port Louis said in a statement."The shipment was made possible as a special gesture although a restriction on its export from India continues to be in force in view of the unprecedented prevailing difficult situation because of COVID-19 global pandemic," it said.Mauritius is one of the first countries to receive supplies of this medicine after a special exemption was granted for a few countries. "This demonstrates the unique ties between our two countries," the statement said.It said the consignment was part of the 13 tonnes of essential lifesaving medicines that have been sent for Mauritius. This is the first such consignment of essential medicines and a second consignment will follow in coming weeks."India is a proud partner of Mauritius and remains committed to contributing to the public health and welfare of all people of Mauritius," it said, adding that India will continue to work closely with Mauritius in these difficult times. India also gifted the first consignment of four tonnes of essential lifesaving medicines to Seychelles, in view of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. "These medicines were procured basis the request from the Government of Seychelles. The consignment was brought to Seychelles by an Air India Special Charter Boeing 787 flight from New Delhi," said a statement issued by the High Commission of India in Seychelles.This is a special arrangement made in view of the special relations with Seychelles in order to enable the supply of these medicines despite the restrictions in place due to the lockdown, it said."Despite its own domestic challenges and constraints, India has always believed in sharing its resources and expertise with its friends and partners," the statement said.This airlift also strengthens the spirit of cooperation between the two sides based on India's Neighbourhood First Policy and Seychelles' India First Policy, it added.As part of this consignment, India swiftly decided to send the supplies of Hydroxychloroquine to Seychelles. The anti-malarial drug is now used to treat COVID-19 patients with effective outcomes. Health authorities worldwide have recommended Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 patients with positive outcomes. ZHZH

COVID-19: India provides life-saving drugs to Mauritius and Seychelles

Dubai, Apr 16 () India is fast-tracking procedures to supply hydroxychloroquine, a drug considered to be efficient in fighting the coronavirus, to the UAE after a request from the country's government, media reports here quoted the Indian envoy as saying.India's Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor said there is a huge demand for the anti-malarial drug from many countries and India is considering it on a case to case basis."As the drug is on the restricted list, we are obviously giving exception to the UAE, given the friendly relations between the two countries," Khaleej Times quoted Kapoor as saying.The global demand for hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) manufactured by India got a boost after some studies indicated that the drug, when paired with azithromycin, helped clear patients of the virus at a much faster rate than seen usually."There was a request from the government of the UAE to help out with the supply of HCQ," the Gulf News quoted Kapoor as saying.Kapoor said a few companies in the UAE requested the government to import the drug to the country."We received a note verbale from the UAE government also seeking support for the supply through those companies," he said."Whatever requests were made, we made sure that they reached the right authorities in the right format since this is a restricted medicine," Kapoor said.He said India is permitting the export of HCQ on a case-by-case basis on the request from governments of friendly countries. With the UAE government backing up the local companies' request for import for the medicine, he said, India is fast-tracking the procedures.The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Wednesday announced 432 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases to 5,365.The country has reported 33 deaths, including five expats of different nationalities. In a humanitarian gesture, India on Wednesday gifted life-saving drugs, including Hydroxychloroquine tablets, to Mauritius and Seychelles to help them deal with the coronavirus pandemic that has infected 2 million people worldwide.Mauritius Vice Prime Minister Leela Devi Luchoomun Dookun received the consignment of half a million Hydroxychloroquine tablets that arrived here on Wednesday evening through a special Air India cargo flight from Delhi, the Indian High Commission in Port Louis said in a statement. Mauritius is one of the first countries to receive supplies of this medicine after a special exemption was granted for a few countries. NSA

India fast-tracks Covid-19 fighting drug supplies to UAE

New Delhi, Apr 10 () The government on Friday said that there is enough stock of hydroxychloroquine in the country and it is taking all steps to ensure that there is no shortage of the drug in the domestic market. India is the biggest manufacturer of the anti-malarial drug that is being touted as 'game changer' in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. "There is enough stock of hydroxychloroquine in the country and we are tracking its demand, availability and production on a daily basis," National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) Chairman Shubhra Singh told . India is the world's largest manufacturer of the drug, which is used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, malaria and lupus, she added. "Ensuring the availability of the drug in the country is our first priority. Only after meeting the demand here, the exports are being done," Singh said. She, however, cautioned that the medicine should only be taken on the advice of doctors. India manufactures 70 per cent of the world's supply of hydroxychloroquine. Companies like IPCA and Zydus Cadila are the major manufacturers of hydroxychloroquine in the country. The Indian pharmaceutical industry earlier this week said there is enough stock of hydroxychloroquine in the country and drug firms are ready to ramp up the production to meet domestic as well as export requirements. India currently has an annual installed capacity of around 40 tonnes of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) of hydroxychloroquine. With this capacity, it can make around 200 million tablets of 200 mg, which can be ramped up, the Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association (IDMA) had said. The production capacity in the country is sufficient to meet the current demand. If the need arises, the companies are committed to ramp up production, the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance had earlier told . India on Tuesday had decided to partially lift the ban on the export of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine in sync with its global commitment to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. AKT HRS

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