An export ban on hydroxychloroquine, the drug against malaria touted to be "game changer" by the United States president Donald Trump against Covid-19 pandemic, has been lifted by the Indian government.
"Department of Pharmaceuticals has approved the lifting of ban on Export of Hydroxychloroquine API as well as formulations," India's minister for chemicals and fertilizers, Sadananda Gowda, said on Twitter.
The minister however said that 20% of their drug production to the domestic market will still have to be supplied by al manufacturers except those that are export-oriented units and those in special economic zones.
The export of the drug and its formulation was banned by India in March as the novel coronavirus pandemic disrupted supply chains. India is the largest of generic medicines across the world.
But in April, some of the export restrictions were relaxed by the country allowing shipment of almost 50 million tablets of the drug to the United States in that month.
Expectations of the use of the drug as a treatment for Covid-19 were raised after hydroxychloroquine was touted as the wonder drug by Trump. However confusions about the effectiveness of the decades-old drug have been created because of confusing reports thereafter about its usage and impact on Covid-19 patients. .
A major trial was halted last week by British scientists after they found that the drug was "useless" when used as treatment for coeonavirus infected patients. Earlier a an article in the Lancet medical journal claimed that the drug enhanced the chances of death for Covid-19 patients, but it was withdrawn after a week following major trials being halted because of the article.
On the other hand however, the World Health Organization has said trials with the drug as a possible treatment for the novel coronavirus illness will be resumed after the people conducting the trials had briefly halted the trial and stopped administering the medicine to new patients because of health concerns of the Covid-19 patients.
The leading manufacturers of the drug currently are IPCA Laboratories and Cadila Healthcare in India.
(Source:www.usnews.com)
"Department of Pharmaceuticals has approved the lifting of ban on Export of Hydroxychloroquine API as well as formulations," India's minister for chemicals and fertilizers, Sadananda Gowda, said on Twitter.
The minister however said that 20% of their drug production to the domestic market will still have to be supplied by al manufacturers except those that are export-oriented units and those in special economic zones.
The export of the drug and its formulation was banned by India in March as the novel coronavirus pandemic disrupted supply chains. India is the largest of generic medicines across the world.
But in April, some of the export restrictions were relaxed by the country allowing shipment of almost 50 million tablets of the drug to the United States in that month.
Expectations of the use of the drug as a treatment for Covid-19 were raised after hydroxychloroquine was touted as the wonder drug by Trump. However confusions about the effectiveness of the decades-old drug have been created because of confusing reports thereafter about its usage and impact on Covid-19 patients. .
A major trial was halted last week by British scientists after they found that the drug was "useless" when used as treatment for coeonavirus infected patients. Earlier a an article in the Lancet medical journal claimed that the drug enhanced the chances of death for Covid-19 patients, but it was withdrawn after a week following major trials being halted because of the article.
On the other hand however, the World Health Organization has said trials with the drug as a possible treatment for the novel coronavirus illness will be resumed after the people conducting the trials had briefly halted the trial and stopped administering the medicine to new patients because of health concerns of the Covid-19 patients.
The leading manufacturers of the drug currently are IPCA Laboratories and Cadila Healthcare in India.
(Source:www.usnews.com)
