The pharma sector has both brainpower and manpower to drive growth and at the same time, the policy reform has to be done on the basis of thorough public consultation and not just from offices, says Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilizers speaking at a webinar hosted by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

The government has taken all the effective measures to make healthcare affordable, says Mansukh Mandaviya who is confident about the new innovation happening at the ground level.

“The various schemes will ensure that an ecosystem is created and it benefits all the stakeholders. We are open to new learning and that is also important to bring in reforms from time to time. We are keen on affordability, accessibility, and quality,” added Mandaviya.

S. Aparna, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals said, “We are taking most of the inputs in our stride and using them for policies that are patient-friendly, industry incentivized, and making quality products that are affordable, and accessible. There are various kinds of patients and depending on the need, they require separate policies. We need to remember that healthcare is not just devices and pharma but involves broader issues of pollution, environment and much more.”

We have always been a reliable supplier of vaccines and now is the time to unlock the potential, our academia and research institutes must collaborate with the industry to bring in significant change to create innovation says Satish Reddy, Managing Director, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories.

Satish Reddy is upbeat about the role played by India in the development of affordable and quality vaccines.

Satish Reddy said, “With process chemistry capabilities, we were able to unleash the industry due to policy changes in 1970. The capabilities developed years ago helped us today. In the current scenario, transparency and objectivity, and concerted effort are needed. The industry is already very excited at this point in time because of the policy decisions that have been taken and are in the pipeline."

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) promoting incentives, R&D efforts are a huge encouragement. Innovation has tremendous value and I am happy that the government has taken suggestions positively in terms of encouraging startups and medium scale companies,” added Reddy.

The various experts and policymakers at the webinar were optimistic about the future wave of affordable pharmaceutical products in the backdrop of dynamic policy changes and fresh initiatives.

Sharing his perspective as a regulator, V. G. Somani, Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) said, “NPPA has already set up 18 units that are undertaking price monitoring and there are more in the pipeline. We are constantly striving to make the regulatory system more transparent to help the cause of affordable drugs."

Dr. Mira Shiva of All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN) believes there is a huge disparity between the availability of drugs and needy patients. “70% of the patients buy out of pocket and a lot of them die due to lack of affordability. The increase in budget allocations might not be enough as we require a strengthened public health system, a rational drug policy, and empathetic patient care. The Health Ministry, NPPA, CDSCO, and pharma department all should join hands. Unbiased drug information must be available.”

Dr. Vinod K. Paul, Member, NITI Aayog is of the opinion that India cannot just rest on its past laurels and be content by being amplifiers of pharma. “We must become developers and leaders of pharma. We need to catch up on the curve of developments, be it biosimilars, gene-based therapy, new anti-cancer drugs, and a host of other areas. Unless we don't invest in R&D of drugs, greatness will remain incomplete.”

Talking about the price control of essential pharma products, Dr. Balram Bhargava, Director General, Indian Council for Medical Research reveals that the second list of National List of Essential Medicines or NLEM 2021 is in the offing.

“We are revising the NLEM and it's a matter of days that it will be revealed. The focus is to make medicines and devices affordable. Stakeholder consultations have been done at all levels. We have to have a delicate balance between sustainability and innovation,” added Bhargava.