The Pharmaceutical Exports Promotion Council (Pharmexcil) will soon appoint an expert advisory cell under its aegis to support the pharma small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) entering into new overseas markets. The council is also initiating various other projects to support the pharma SMEs in export business.

The Department of Pharmaceuticals has directed the council to create a special cell consisting experts with region or country-wise knowledge to assist the new companies entering into exports market. The initiative comes in the wake of recent incidents where the pharma SMEs entering into exports business are facing several problems including understanding international markets, product registration procedures and assessing genuineness of buyers or importers.

Following the advice of the department, the Pharmexcil is currently inviting applications from professional consultants and executives involved in pharmaceutical exports with sufficient experience. The council has informed its members to suggest the names of interested persons along with their bio-data containing experience and expectations, for the consideration of the council, informed Pharmexcil sources.

The department of pharmaceuticals has also advised Pharmexcil to engage services of patent attorneys as legal advisors, in an effort to support the exporting small scale pharma companies on intellectual property related issues. The department has noticed the problems faced by the SMEs in exporting generic drugs to overseas market.

"It has come to the notice of Department of Pharmaceuticals, that our pharmaceutical exporters are facing difficulties in various countries due to patent litigations and that cases are being filed against them even for information published in trade literature and displayed as publicity material in international trade fairs," elaborates the council.

The council will now formulate a team of patent attorneys who are well versed with local laws in various countries and the services of these attorneys would be available to the council members as and when they face such problems in any country during trade delegation or participation in international trade fairs.

Seeking the experienced members of the council to suggest some local attorneys in their knowledge for taking up the team, Pharmexcil has also solicited the members inform the patent litigations they are facing so that the council can extend assistance as may be required by them with the support of Department of Pharmaceuticals.

As reported, the council is currently working on a new project to set up separate panels of experts for various segments related to pharmaceutical exports including APIs & intermediates, pharmaceutical formulations, biotech & biological products, medical devices, surgicals, diagnostics & healthcare products, veterinary drugs, R&D, clinical trials & pharmaceutical services, DGFT and customs and central excise. The council is collecting a database of experts and consultants in various segments even to outsource some of the tasks for its members in order to ensure better performance of the Indian exporters in overseas market.