26.10.2005

India will get the first generic version of the antiviral drug Tamiflu only by March 1. And even then, it might not come cheap.
Pharmaceutical firm Cipla has started buying the active substance of Tamiflu -- shikimic acid, which is extracted from the Chinese spice Star Anise.
But the price of shikimic acid, which used to cost $40 a kilo just three months back, has soared on the back of heavy demand in the wake of avian influenza threat -- Cipla is paying $700 for every kilo it is buying in China.
This price rise has put in doubt Cipla's original promise of selling its generic version at a cheaper price than Roche, Tamiflu's original makers. Cipla will produce 750 kg of it every month from March.
Speaking to TOI, Cipla MD Amar Lula said: "The active substance of Tamiflu is oseltamivir and the ultimate raw material for oseltamivir is shikimic acid. More than 90% of shikimic acid is being bought by Roche.
But we have enough. By mid-December we will complete making the active substance of Tamiflu followed by its formulation, a 75 mg capsule. By March 1, the drug will be in the market."
He added: "Keeping the rocketing price of raw material in mind, we might not be able to provide the drug for cheap." (Times Of India).