Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu on March 16, 2019, said that world class drugs with unwavering quality at very affordable prices is the need of hour. He urged the Indian Pharmaceutical industry to remain committed to high standards of quality in drug manufacturing and quality frameworks. Calling for strict adherence to global standards in manufacturing drugs, he exhorted the industry to earmark more resources for discovering new molecules and new drugs without compromising on the affordability of drugs.
Addressing the 2nd decennial celebrations of Sarojini Naidu Vanita Pharmacy Maha Vidyalaya at Hyderabad, Naidu stressed the need to give thrust to research and innovation. New healthcare challenges are emerging every day, especially with an alarming rise in the number of non- communicable and lifestyle diseases and cancers, he added.
The Vice President said that India had become the largest provider of generic drugs globally and in supplying anti-retroviral drugs used worldwide to combat AIDS. He lauded the service rendered by Indian companies in providing life saving medicine at affordable prices in the developing countries. Expressing his desire to see India emerge as the world leader in generic medicines, Naidu wanted the young researchers to also work towards standardising and benchmarking Indian systems of medicine.
Naidu asked the Pharma companies to develop new molecules and drugs to combat some of the lesser known diseases, particularly the group of diseases called as “rare diseases”. Stating that the number of people suffering from rare diseases was estimated to be more than 70 million in India, the Vice President said that it was important for the Indian Pharma industry to look into the need for developing low-cost drugs for treating rare diseases. Naidu also called for revamping pharmacy education in India and to bring it on par with global standards for providing a better tomorrow to the youngsters.
Saying that Pharma industry has been posting a robust growth over the last few years, the Vice President said that the industry was projected to grow to US $55 Billion by 2020. He called up on the industry, governments at state and centre to utilise the industry’s growth potential to create job opportunities for youth, according to a PIB release.
The Vice President complimented the Exhibition Society for doing great service in the field of education by establishing 18 educational institutions starting from school to post graduate to professional courses with special emphasis on girls education for past 75 years in Telangana with an enrollment of 30,000 students. He also presented Gold Medals to 10 meritorious students.