The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has hiked the prices of six bulk drugs including erythromycin and their derivatives, and the new prices will be in effect by January 10 next year.

The bulk drugs that became costlier are frusemide, silver sulphadiazine, pentazocine, famotidine, carbamazepine and erythromycin. According to a notification by the NPPA dated November 25, all formulations of these drugs in their scheduled formulations are advised to follow the provisions of DPCO, 1995.

The price of frusemide has been fixed at Rs.1225 per kg while the price of silver sulphadiazine is Rs.19,376 per kg. Price of pentazoncine has gone up from Rs.22329 per kg, fixed earlier in March, 2008 to Rs.29,467 per kg as per the notification.

The price of carbamazepine ex-basic stage OrthoNitro Toluene (ONT) is Rs.3400, against Rs.2175 per kg, fixed earlier in 2008. Likewise, the price carbamazepine ex- intermediate stage is Rs.2583 per kg. All derivatives of erythromycine also were increased.

The rate of erythromycine base was fixed at Rs.3674 per kg against Rs.2068 fixed in March 2008. The price of erythromycin estolate ex-fermentation basic stage went up to Rs.3584 from Rs.3072 per kg while that of erythromycin estolate-ex-TIOC intermediate was hiked from Rs.2043 to Rs.2896 per kg.

The prices of other derivatives are erythromycin stearate (Rs.2484), erythromycin ethyl succinate (Rs.4249) and erythromycin propionate (Rs.4030) per kg, as per the notification.