The Drug Development Promotion Board (DDPB) constituted for managing the funds earmarked for the promotion of research and development in drugs and pharmaceuticals has declined to entertain the proposal of Basic Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals & Cosmetics Export Promotion Council (Chemexcil) for a representation in the Board.
The DDPB, functioning under the administrative control of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has felt that the inclusion of the Chemexcil representative would not be appropriate as a separate export promotion council (Pharmexcil) for drugs and pharmaceuticals is to be operational any time now.
However, the DDPB would take note of the plea of drug exporters to support research programmes meant to develop new systems for improving drug quality. According to sources, applications for R&D support would be considered on their individual merits.
In a representation to the DST recently, Chemexcil had pointed out the need for supporting R&D initiatives among pharmaceuticals exporting units in order to make them world class. "The government, whenever it lays down modalities for disbursing the fund, should consider the requirements of drug exporters. Support should be based on growth of their export performance as being done in the case of custom duty benefit being forgone by the government, while issuing EPCG license," it said.
Reacting to the Chemexcil request to expand the scope of R&D to include development of quality control systems, official sources said that DDPB would prefer to handle only R&D applications and not Q&C. "Quality Control is a very vague term. We feel that the quality testing, control and development of such facilities can be better handled by departments that are look into export promotion activities. Our thrust would be on supporting research projects," they explained.
Expressing disappointment over the DST decision, Lalit Kumar Jain, chairman, Pharma Panel, Chemexcil felt that the exporters can only be represented through his council as it is the only reliable forum that can represent the views of the manufacturer exporter of pharmaceutical industry.
The DDPB is chaired by secretary, DST, and has members drawn from various departments like Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Health and Family Welfare and AYUSH, directors of apex research institutions like Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), pharmaceutical associations like Indian Drugs Manufacturers' Association (IDMA), Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), Bulk Drug Manufacturers' Association (BDMA), Indian Medical Association (IMA) as its members. The DDPB is not to be involved in the evaluation of the project proposals as there is an expert committee, set up under the board to advise DDPB on scientific matters.