Industry lobbying and trade pacts threaten India’s role as major generics supplier

Indian manufacturers have supplied more than 80% of antiretrovirals to developing countries since 2006, a new study has shown, amid concern that trade negotiations and industry lobbying threaten to restrict this flow of affordable generic drugs.

The study also shows that Indian generic drugs accounted for 91% of all antiretrovirals for children supplied to developing countries in 2008 (Journal of the International AIDS Society 2010;13:35, doi:10.1186/1758-2652-13-35). Of 100 countries surveyed, 96 relied on Indian generic drugs; and 99% of antiretrovirals used by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, and Namibia came from India.

Indian generic formulations accounted for 65% of the $463m (£295m; €353m) purchases of antiretrovirals in 2008, while non-Indian generics made up 13% and brand name drugs made up 22%, the study found. …