India needs to reduce reliance on China for APIs

Stiff competition from China is undermining the Indian bulk drug industry. While imports from China are growing at over 30%, Indian exporters maintain that it is difficult to crack the Chinese market, reports The Pharma Letter’s India correspondent.

India depends on China for several drug intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), sometimes to the extent of over 90%. These go into the making of around 16 essential drugs, including painkillers and antibiotics.

Antacids like ranitidine, paracetamol, vitamin C and its intermediates, and antibiotics such as ampicillin, amoxicillin, cefaclor, cephalexin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, ofloxacin, and first line diabetes drug metformin, are among the several APIs and drugs imported from China.