World class drugs with unwavering quality is need of the hour: Vice President

New Delhi: The Vice President of India, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that world-class drugs with unwavering quality at very affordable prices are the need of the hour. He urged the Indian pharmaceutical industry to remain committed to high standards of quality in drug manufacturing and quality frameworks. Calling for strict adherence to global standards in manufacturing drugs, he exhorted the industry to earmark more resources for discovering new molecules and new drugs without compromising on the affordability of drugs.

Addressing the 2nd decennial celebrations of Sarojini Naidu Vanita Pharmacy Maha Vidyalaya, in Hyderabad, Mr Naidu stressed on the need to give a thrust to research and innovation. New healthcare challenges are emerging every day, especially with an alarming rise in the number of non-communicable and lifestyle diseases and cancers, he added.

The Vice President said that India had become the largest provider of generic drugs globally and in supplying anti-retroviral drugs used worldwide to combat AIDS.

Mr Naidu lauded the yeomen service rendered by Indian companies in providing life saving medicines at affordable prices in the developing countries.

Expressing his desire to see India emerge as the world leader in generic medicines, Mr Naidu wanted the young researchers to also work towards standardizing and benchmarking Indian systems of medicine. He wanted them to use globally established experimental protocols, to establish the efficiency, validity and efficacy of the traditional medicines.

Mr Naidu asked the Pharma companies to develop new molecules and drugs to combat some of the lesser known diseases, particularly the group of diseases called as “rare diseases”.

Saying that the number of people suffering from rare diseases was estimated to be more than 70 million in India, the Vice President said that it was important for the Indian Pharma industry to look into the need for developing low-cost drugs for treating rare diseases.

The Vice President speedy introduction of generic drugs into the market should remain the focus. Rural health programmes, lifesaving drugs and preventive vaccines should also receive attention from policy makers and Pharma companies alike, he added.

Mr Naidu also called for revamping pharmacy education in India and to bring it on par with global standards for providing a better tomorrow to our youngsters.

Saying that Pharma industry has been posting a robust growth over the last few years, the Vice President said that the industry was projected to grow to US $55 Billion by 2020. He called up on the industry, governments at state and centre to utilize the industry’s growth potential to create job opportunities for youth.

Mr Naidu opined that the Pharmaceutical sector has the crucial responsibility of saving human lives and Pharma companies must go above and beyond their CSR mandates to provide life-saving and other essential drugs to those who cannot afford them.

The Vice President complimented the Exhibition Society which is doing great service in the field of education by establishing 18 educational institutions starting from school to post graduate to professional courses with special emphasis on girls education for past 75 years in Telangana with an enrollment of 30,000 students. He also presented Gold Medals to 10 meritorious students.