DIFFERENT PRICES FOR THE SAME MEDICINE: A BIG WORRY

Some weeks ago, when Sheila, 41, an IT professional, was down with cholera, her family physician advised her to take Doxy-1, which costs Rs48.58 for a strip of 8 tablets. Sheila was not aware that Doxy-1 is the brand name of the antibiotic Doxycycline, and that cheaper brands of the same medicine are available, costing half the price. Only when her daughter Anita, 20, a pharmacy student, noticed the Doxy-1 strip at home, was she informed that cheaper alternatives, but of the same quality, are available. “I shelled out more than double the amount than necessary,” rued Sheila. Doxycycline belongs to a category of drugs the prices of which are controlled by the government, precisely the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under the department of pharmaceuticals. Still, the variation in price of various brands of the same drug is immense. Price control drugs are essential medicines, such as antibiotics and painkillers, and drugs used for the treatment of diseases such as cancer and asthma. Such medicines contain bulk drugs, or raw material, whose prices are controlled by the NPPA; manufacturers cannot hike prices on their own. However, 90% of drugs are outside price control in India. In 1979, the prices of 347 bulk drugs and formulations containing them were controlled. That control was reduced to 142 in 1987, and 74 in 1995. Concerns have been raised about the fact that in a poor country like India (according to World Bank estimates, over 456 million people in a population of a billion live below the global poverty line of $1.25 per day) there is such weak drug price control. These  cost differentials between brands have got nothing to do with the quality of the medicines, but occur due to marketing and promotional expenses. The big differences in prices of drugs poses a problem for the middle and lower class families as they cant afford such costly medicines.  Its high time NPPA took some action regarding this, and make it easier for the country people. How they compare on price:

Medicine	Brand	Quantity	Price
Ciprofloxacin	Cifran,RAnbaxy	500 mg 10 tabs	98.50
	Ciplox, Cipla	500 mg 10 tabs	84.20
	Zoxan, FDC	500 mg 10 tabs	49.75
Norfloxacin	Norflox, Cipla	400 mg 10 tabs	48.49
	Norbid, Alembic	400 mg 10 tabs	10.67
Doxycycline	Doxy-1, USV	100 mg 8 tabs	48.58
	Mincycline	100 mg 10 tabs	9.17

Read More

The discovery of cancer drug cisplatin

Its origin had nothing to do with cancer or drug. 

Biophysicist Barnett Rosenberg conceived the idea that electric currents may affect cell growth. 


He designed an experiment that passed an electric current through a soup of chemical nutrients in which bacteria grew. 


For electrodes he decided to use platinum, thinking that the inert metal would minimize spurious chemical effects. 


After two hours of electric current, the bacteria in the soup stopped dividing, instead, some continued to grow to enormous sizes. 
To pinpoint the cause of this phenomenon, he did numerous experiments, going into blind alleys and new directions. 


It turned out that his original ideas about electric current and platinum were both wrong. 
The current had no effect on bacteria growth and division.  The platinum electrodes, under the experimental conditions, produced a trace amount of a rare compound cis-diammonia platinum chloride.  It was this compound that prevented the bacteria from dividing. 


In his paper on this result, Rosenberg suggested that similar metal ions might also inhibit division of other bacteria or cells.  If so, they could be useful in cancer therapy by stopping cancerous cell division. 


This time his conjecture turned out to be right.  Research along this line led to cisplatin (marketed as Neoplatin), a treatment for a certain type of testicular cancer in men and ovarian cancer in women. 


J. Mann.  The Elusive Magic Bullet: The Search for the Perfect Drug.  New York: Oxford University Press (1999),  pp. 149-151. 

Read More

The Sildenafil story(Viagra)

It would not become a drug for heart diseases, researchers at Pfizer sighed. 

For years they worked on sildenafil, an inhibitor of the PDE5 enzyme, which they hoped would be effective in relaxing coronary arteries and relieving chest pain. 
Their hope was dashed by 1992. Only one out of ten candidates entering clinical trials successfully passes through the gauntlet and reaches consumers, but statistics is little consolation for those who see their projects falling on the heap of nine. 
Gloomily, the researchers terminated the trial and asked participants to return the unused drug. 


Many men refused, clutching to the drug as if it was gold.  Idiosyncrasies being present in all clinical tests, researchers gave the objection little thought until they heard rumors about the drug’s side effects on sex life and, more important, read a paper on the role of PDE5 in the chemical pathway of erection. 

Gloom evaporated in the excitement that sildenafil may be a blockbuster after all.  This time, their expectation was confirmed by new clinical tests on impotent men.  They stumbled on an effective drug for erectile dysfunction Pfizer would market as Viagra.

Friends, we always think what will we gain from the history?? in the least place why do we even study it or think about it??
I have the answer for you....History provides us with the lessons and guides us to  not to repeat the mistakes.....so, i think you all got it!!


2 lessons to be learnt from this story..

"Never lose Hope....hard work doesnt go fruitless"
 "Chance favors a prepared mind.  Success favors an open and persevering mind." 

Read More

GPAT quiz

 Here is the link to one of the most exclusive gpat questions!! all for you...


 http://www.pharmainfo.net/gpat-quizzes


And for the preparation of GPAT, you will get the perfect guidance here......

http://www.pharmatutor.org/exam-alert/prepare-for-pharma-entrances.html

so, guys......njoy!!

Read More

Indian Pharma players grab the opportunity as US Patent expiries enter the market

2010-12 period is the most lucrative for the Indian companies as 26 major drugs with total sales of $69 billion are set to lose patent protection.

---

Recently, US Pharma market, although the world’s largest was seen dwindling as it grew a meagre 1-2% in 2009, in comparison to emerging economies in Asia and Latin America, such as Brazil, Turkey and Mexico which have been growing at a healthy 14-15% annually.

But the impending patent expiries are set to turn the tide in favour of the US again.

Though it is common knowledge that the price of the drug drops by as much as 80-90% once the patent expires, estimates by HDFC Securities suggest that Indian Companies could be looking at an average potential of Rs. 12,000 crore per year.

Although, for that Indian companies aren’t the only one’s in fray. There is bound to be stiff competition from global generics players like Teva(Israel), Apotex (Canada), Sandoz (Germany) and Actavis (Iceland).

However, experts feel the scale will be tipped in favour of Indian Companies to some extent on account of the fact that production costs in India are 35-40% lower, mainly due to cheaper manpower.

Opportunities Galore.....

Drug	Innovator co	Indication	Annual sales(2008)	Patent expiry	Indian generics co
Cozaar	Merck	Blood pressure	$3.5 bn	2010	Ipca,DRl,Lupin
Gemzar	Eli Lilly	Cancer	$1.7 bn	2010	Sun Pharma,DRL
Aricept	Eisai	Alzheimer’s	$2.5 bn	2010	Ranbaxy,Sun,Torrent
Lipitor	Pfizer	Cholesterol	$12.4 bn	2011	Ranbaxy,Lupin,Torrent
Zyprexa	Eli Lilly	Schizophrenia	$4.7 bn	2011	Sun,Cipla,DRL
Plavix	BMS	Heart diseases	$5.6 bn	2011	USV,Ipca,Aurobindo
Seroquel	Astrazeneca	Schizophrenia	$4.5 bn	2012	Lupin, Cipla,Divi’s
Viagra	Pfizer	Erectile Dysfunction	$1.9 bn	2012	Cadila, DRL, Hetero
Singulair	Merck	Asthma	$4.3 bn	2012	DRL, Matrix
Diovan HCT	Novartis	Hypertension	$5.7 bn	2012	Lupin, Ranbaxy, Alembic

Read More

Pharma Block Busters: New US FDA drug Approvals: INDIA

Pharma Block Busters: New US FDA drug Approvals: INDIA

Good news for the India Pharma Industry:

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has recieved FDA's approval for moexipril hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide tablets.

The tablets are the generic version of Schwarz Pharmaceuticals' Uniretic and are used to treat Hypertension.

This drug has annual sales of $8 million in the US.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another Indian Major, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries recieved the approval for the generic version of Actavis Mid Atlantic's Prometh syrup, used to treat cold, flu and allergies.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories has received the US Food and Drug Administration's approval to launch the generic version of Sanofi-Aventis' allergy drug Allegra.

The company seems to be the only filer for the drug. It also has first to file rights when the patent for AllegraD24 expires in 2012.

Allegra-D24 Hour is used to treat sneezing, cough, runny or stuffynose, itchy or watery eyes, hives, skin rash, itching, and other symptoms of allergies and common cold.

Allegra-D 24 Hour tablets contains: 180 mg fexofenadine hydrochloride for immediate release. 240 mg pseudoephedrine for extended release.

Fexofenadine is anantihistamine that reduces the natural chemical histamine in the body.

India's second-largest drugmaker by sales plans to launch the drug at risk in US by Q1 FY11. The drug has a market size of USD 180 million in the US.

Read More

Pharma block Busters

Hello friends!!

Namaste to all the Pharmacists of today, the upcoming Pharmacists and all those who love Blogging.

Just as i am writing this blog, i feel the need for more pharma blogs.....as blogs concerned with pharma world are far too few. And if the technology provides us an opportunity then why to waste ......

This blog is exclusively for the Pharmacists....so, buck up yo all, who knows a great invention or a discovery or as we say, A PHARMA BLOCKBUSTER awaits us.....!!

A very interactive way of learning, this blog may reach great heights if it gets the support of YOU......The Pharmacists!!

Most of all, imagine all the Pharmacists and the ignited minds at one place.....what more could we expect......the avalanche of ideas, the typhoon of intellect and the fury of thoughts!! These are just a few objectives to name a few.....

But friends, i promise this blog will give all that is required...the Pharma news and Updates, guidance for the young Pharmacists to steer their career way too high, exchange of ideas and thoughts amd much more if it gets your support!!

I utterly need your support in creation and maintaining this blog.
Please be supportive and share your views at "shreeshabhat@yahoo.co.in"

Read More