Tashieka Mair, Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
On a path to revolutionise current drug prices, Indies Pharma, western Jamaica's largest pharmaceutical company, has unveiled a range of low-cost drugs to treat a number of the major diseases affecting the nation.
The drugs are specifically for the treatment of heart disease - the number one cause of death in Jamaica - stroke, obesity, and hypertension, as well as central nervous system disorders such as anxiety, depression, epilepsy and gastro-intestinal complaints.
Chief executive officer of Indies Pharma, Dr. Guna Sekhar Muppuri, announced on Thursday at a press conference at Catherine Hall, Montego Bay, that his company had already started to supply the over 27 highly-competitively-priced medications to pharmacies islandwide.
By the end of August, the company will have 36 formulations on the market.
"I come from a country (India) where there is a wealth of resources and pharmaceutical products which are far more affordable than in Jamaica," he said.
He added that his company's objective was the welfare of the common man and the nation on a whole, bearing in mind the role of (generic) pharmaceuticals and the economic situation of developing countries.
Available resources
Dr. Muppuri , a general practitioner who has been practising in Jamaica for the last 15 years, said he was inspired to find the available resources to assist Jamaicans in accessing cheaper drugs after treating several patients who could not afford to purchase prescriptions weeks after he had prescribed them.
He is particularly concerned, he said, about the statistics which show that cerebrovascular disease (stroke) was the leading cause of death among Jamaicans from 1999-2002. Data collected from the Registrar General's Department indicate that 7,892 persons died from the condition during the four-year period.
The drugs that Indies Pharma has made available, in some cases is 70 per cent less expensive than several branded drugs and 20-40 per cent less than some generic brands.
"All the drugs for chronic diseases are all available on the National Health Fund at a subsidised cost," he stated.
The medicines are manufactured by the multinational corporation Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited, which is based in India and has offices worldwide.
Indies Pharma, which also plans to expand its distribution to other Caribbean countries from its Jamaican headquarters, hopes to register 200 to 300 Pharma products over the next two years and achieve monthly target sales of 10 per cent of the Jamaican market share.
Well received
Currently, the monthly market for pharmaceuticals in Jamaica is between $600 million and $700 million.
Indies Pharma has been well received by health professionals in western Jamaica.
"The diversity of your products is very welcomed at this stage," said Dr. Sonia Nixon, who represents the Western Medical Association. In endorsing the products she stated, "Our patients are the most important people to us, and therefore drugs are useless if they are not available and if persons cannot afford to buy."
