Amicus to report on quality of local cancer medicines

Justice N Kirubakaran appointed senior advocate N L Rajah as amicus curiae in the backdrop of the submission made by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research seeking the petitioner to apply for funds under the 12th five-year plan scheme on ‘Patent Acquisition and Collaborative Research and Technology Development (PACE), which supports indigenous work. 

Directing the amicus to visit the facilities of the petitioner – Vinkam Labs Ltd (VLL) – with experts to find out whether the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) molecules and cancer medicines manufactured by the petitioner were as per the specification set out by the National Health Security and Health Care Standards, the judge sought the amicus to report the progress of their evaluations on June 11 and subsequently submit the report by June 27. 

The other aspects which the judge directed the amicus to find included applicability of the V M Katoch Committee’s recommendations vis-a-vis the petitioner, the investment and timeline that would be required to establish knowhow and put up facilities equivalent to that of the petitioner, extent of benefits that would accrue to the farming community by nurturing the petitioner’s industry and the extent of foreign exchange and other benefits that could accrue to the nation from cancer medicines manufactured by the petitioner. 

VLL represented by its Managing Director M Perumal had contended that despite the availability of manufacturers in domestic market with world class expertise and facility, India continues to heavily rely on China for APIs. 

In fact, the import of APIs which was at 0.3% in 1991 steadily rose to 75% by 2006, with China having 90% share in the total imports, he said. 

Also, noting that every 13th cancer patient is an Indian, the petitioner contended that in 2014, after the then National Security Advisor (NSA) sounded alarm bells on the issue, the government, based on recommendations offered by an expert committee headed by noted scientist Katoch, declared 2015 as the year of Indian AIPs, and constituted a separate ministry for pharmaceuticals to implement the recommendations. 

But so far nothing has materialised, the petitioner claimed, and sought government support to achieve self-reliance for seven critical API molecules in cancer treatment.