PENICILLIN
G – SCI & TECH
News:
India to restart
Penicillin G manufacture: why was it stopped, what changed now
What's
in the news?
●
India has decided to resume the
manufacturing of the common antibiotic Penicillin G after nearly 3 decades.
Penicillin
G:
●
It is a medication used to manage and
treat a wide range of infections.
●
It is very effective against gram-positive and gram-negative cocci bacterial
infections.
●
For example, Susceptible bacterial
infections in the stomach.
●
It is the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient
(API) used in manufacturing several common antibiotics.
Active
Pharmaceutical Ingredients:
●
These are the active ingredients contained
in a medicine. It is that part of the medicine that produces the intended
therapeutic effects.
●
For example, in a painkiller, the active
ingredient relieves pain.
Quantity:
●
A Small amount of the API is required to
produce the effect, and so the medicine contains only the required amount of
the API.
Largest
Production:
●
China
is one of the largest producers of Key Starting Material (KSM) and APIs in the
world.
Why
did Penicillin Manufacturing Stopped in India?
●
It was phased out of production because of
subsidy-driven cheaper Chinese products flooding the market.
●
The Drug
Prices Control Order ensured that more companies went for cheaper imported
products. The Drug Prices Control Order regulates the price of essential
medicines in India.
Production
Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme:
Objective:
●
To promote the domestic manufacturing of
APIs, drug intermediates and key starting materials (KSMs).
Incentive:
●
The scheme envisages support of 20% for first four years, 15% for fifth
year, and 5% for sixth year on eligible sales of fermentation-based bulk
drugs such as antibiotics, enzymes, and hormones such as insulin.
Implementation:
●
The scheme will be implemented through a Project Management Agency (PMA) to be
nominated by the Department of Pharmaceuticals.
Significance:
●
After the PLI scheme, there has been a
decline in the imports of APIs.