No pharmaceutical company in Malaysia is interested to invest for the development of new drugs and no innovative drug is coming out from the country, said Dr Soraya Azmi, managing director, Azim Burhani Consultancy, a pharma consulting company in Malaysia.

“So far no company in that country has produced an innovative drug or developed a new molecule. It needs clinical researches, clinical trials and strong industries to develop new drugs. Now we have only some generic manufacturers,” Soraya said in an interview with Pharmabiz.

Because of incessant pressures from research agencies and healthcare organisations, the government is now considering several healthcare proposals that include researches in new drugs. “If research is carried out, new molecules can be developed. Malaysia now includes new drugs into its list,” she added.

Dr Soraya was in India to attend an international conference on pharmacoeconomics in Andhra Pradesh.

Compared to India, Malaysia has limitations for clinical trials and limited facilities for researches. Whereas India has very good opportunities and more than 2050 trials are going on here. All these trials are strong also.

The pharma consultant said that the generic manufacturers in Malaysia were having some kind of monopoly in their practice. The manufacturers of generics who have contract with the government supply medicines on higher rates, she said.

Regarding the operation of retail pharmacies in the country, she said the retail pharmacy system in the country is strict. Every pharmacy is run by a registered pharmacist who has to be in the pharmacy always.

In the case of pharmacoeconomic concept, Soraya said the government is giving importance to it and the regulatory authority in the country is also thinking about the benefits of the theory. As far as generic medicines are concerned, the theory is not applicable, but in the case of branded drugs, it becomes important.

To another question, she said all the drugs sold in the country have stickers with a registration number provided by the National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau.