Govt unit set to produce drug for kidney dialysis

Kathmandu, May 20

Nepal Aushadhi Limited, a government drug enterprise, is all set to produce Haemodialysis Fluid, a drug needed for the kidney patients in dialysis, within a year.

It is setting up the Haemodialysis Unit, to product medicine for the kidney patients and support the government's free treatment drive as well as the private health institutions.

The government is providing free dialysis treatment to the kidney patients and the NAL will supply the medicine at reasonable rates compared to the foreign products currently available in the market.

"The new unit will come into operation by the end of the next fiscal year, around June 2020. We have given priority to setting up the new facility," said Acting General Manager of the company Bijaya Shree Ratna Bajracharya.

Nepal currently needs 1,600 set Haemodialysis fluid. The new plant will have the capacity to produce 1,600 units of the medicine, but in the beginning, it will produce only half of its capacity, said Bajracharya.  

According to him, the map of the plant has been already approved by the DDA and the plant will be set up soon. The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has supported the company with necessary funds to establish the new plant.

The oldest drug company in the country is also planning to produce albendazole, amzit and other tablet medicines.  

In 2017, it had announced to produce 10 different types of medicines within a year, but the process has been delayed due to the problems in public procurement system.

"We are having discussions with the Department of Drug Administration (DDA) and conducting research and development works," said Bajracharya.

As per the rule, the DDA provides license for the medicine production only after checking the quality stability of the drug for at least six months.

The company is currently producing Cetamol, glycerine, Jeevan Jal (oral rehydration solution) and distilled water.

Established in 1972 with the technical collaboration of the British Government, the company was producing tablets, capsules, liquids, oral powder, ointments and eye and nasal drops but went out of operation in 2009 as it could not follow the WHO-GMP Guidelines and Codes on Drug Manufacturing 1984. 

The company was reopened by the then Minister for Industry Nabindra Raj Joshi in May 2017 aiming to lessen the dependency of medicines on other countries, use domestic raw materials and herbs, counter the private sector monopoly and supply necessary drugs to the government at lower rates.

It plans to produce about 40 types of medicines, including anti-venom and anti-rabies vaccines.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 21 May 2019.