The Union Commerce Ministry will soon come out with a 'Bulletin on Indian Pharmaceutical Industry' to be be distributed in the African countries as a part of its initiative to counter MNC propaganda against export of Indian generic drugs.

Pharmexcil, part of the commerce ministry, will be bringing out this special bulletin in collaboration with a leading pharma publication which would be circulated in most of the African countries. Dr VP Appaji, executive director, Pharmexcil informed that the initiative of special bulletin on Indian pharma industry is a part of the 'Brand India Promotion' in African countries, a brainchild of Pharmexcil, with has an active support from the Department of Commerce.

The Special Bulletin on Indian Pharma Industry would be published and circulated by FSG Communications, Cambridge UK, along with its May 2010 issue of ‘Africa Health’ journal. This would be distributed to 12,500 medical professions, pharma industry, ministry officials etc., by FSG Communication. Pharmexcil would also be distributing this Special Bulletin to all Indian Embassies in Africa, African Embassies in India, African pharma associations, buyers, journalists, drug regulatory/health ministry officials etc., free of cost.

The Bulletin consists of articles/data on Indian strengths in various therapeutics, R&D, quality measures, clinical trials, manufacturing facilities, specialty products etc. The Bulletin contains 16 multi-coloured pages, out of which eight pages would contain articles and eight pages are marked for advertisements from Indian companies.

As part of the 'Brand India Promotion' project, Pharmexcil had organised four events that included meeting of African Ambassadors in India, high-level delegation to Africa Health Ministers Conference in Ethiopia, Trade delegation to Southern African countries and Indo-Africa Pharma Business meet at Hyderabad in September 2009 last year.

The brand building programmes are part of the Indian government’s aggressive campaign against the MNCs’ propaganda against generic drugs in the African countries. It will be a major platform for the Indian pharma industry and the government to allay any fears among the African countries about the quality of Indian generic drugs.

The ‘Indian pharma brand building campaign’ is expected to convince the African countries about the quality of Indian generic drugs and also to convince them that generic drugs are not counterfeit drugs as is being spread by the MNCs. The MNCs are learnt to be spreading the rumours in Africa that the Indian generic drugs are spurious drugs and only patented drugs, manufactured mostly by the MNCs, are good for consumption.