Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Paracetamol price jumps by 40% in India

18.02.2020

India is facing the ripple effects of shutdowns in China with production of medicines to mobile phones being hit as supply chain disruptions prolong.

Prices of paracetamol, the most commonly used analgesic, have jumped by 40% in India, while the cost of azithromycin, an antibiotic used for treating a variety of bacterial infections, has risen by 70%, said Pankaj R Patel, chairman of Zydus Cadila. The pharma industry could face shortages in finished drug formulations starting April if supplies aren’t restored by the first week of next month, he said.

Patel sees a substantial increase in prices of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) — the basic substance used to make drugs — in the short- to medium-term.

India, one of the largest suppliers of generic drugs to the world and home to about 12% of all manufacturing sites catering to the US market, relies on China for as much as 80% of API requirement.

Some Indian manufacturers of mobile phones are facing disruption to production on account of the shutdown in China, according to Pankaj Mahindroo, chairman of the India Cellular and Electronics Association that represents companies, including Foxconn, Apple Inc., Micromax Informatics Ltd. and Salcomp India. “The impact is already visible,” said Mahindroo. “If things don’t improve soon, production will have to be stopped.” BLOOMBERG

No comments:

Post a Comment

Metro Rail begins trial run of its first driverless train

Metro Rail begins trial run of its first driverless train On track: One of the challenges is to complete the laying of the track between Poo...