Outsourcing to be extended to medicine in India

Gulbarga, Jan 11 (UNI) India is fast emerging a giant in clinical trial outsourcing not only in allopathy but also in Ayurveda, pharmacists said here today.

Addressing a two-day national workshop on ''Challenging Techniques in Chemical Analytical and Pharmacological Evaluation of Natural Products'' here, Vice-Chancellor of KLE Deemed University, Chandrakanth Kokate said the country had become an ideal destination for clinical outsourcing for Western countries.

''Many major pharmaceutical companies are looking towards India for clinical outsourcing,'' he said.

The country manufactures drugs worth Rs 70,000 crore a year, of which Ayurvedic drugs constitued Rs 12,000 crore. Of the total world drug production, India constitues 1.6 per cent.

Expressing concern over increasing substandard drug production, Dr Kokate deplored that India and China, according to a recent report by Health Department had earned dubious distinction in making a substantial quantum of substandard and spurious drugs.

''Our drug manufacturing companies are keeping in mind only short term gains, resulting in increasing of substandard and spurious drugs, '' he said.

Rajiv Gandhi University Registrar Vasant Kumar said India was growing as a 'World Medical Tourist Centre.' It would earn 40 billion Dollars by the next two decades as it was emerging as a giant in the sector.

Dr Kumar lamented that the drug makers were hiding the side effects of the drugs, in many cases.

Deputy Director of Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, Madhusoodan Rao said infrastracture was unavailable in the country to discover new drugs.

UNI DP RM JJ SB RN1951