The oncology drug makers in India have a tremendous opportunity in Mexico which has witnessed one third of deaths due to cancer and is facing shortage of oncology products. In a bid to overcome the shortage of oncology drugs, Jalisco, one of the 32 states in Mexico, is looking to procure medicines directly from Indian companies.
The Jalisco government has proposed to the Indian Embassy in Mexico that they are interested in buying medicines directly from Indian firms, starting with oncological medicines which they would like to procure as soon as possible considering the shortage in the state.
The list of products required by the Jalisco government includes bevacizumab, pertuzumab, cyclophosphamide monohydrate, trastuzumab, doxorubicin hydrochloride, ifosfamide, mitomycin, etoposide, rituximab, palonosetron, rituximab, carboplatin, docetaxel, dacarbazine, cytarabine, daunorubicin hydrochloride, ondansetron, imatinib mesylate, filgrastrim, thalidomide, lenalidomide, letrozole, fluorouracil, nilutamide, granisetron, eribulin mesylate, etc.
The manufacturers of oncology products having sanitary registration/approval of COFEPRIS (Mexico) or any other approvals such as Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmed), European Commission, US Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health of Canada, Therapeutic Products Administration of Australia, Regulatory Agency of reference of WHO/PAHO and regulatory agencies who are members of the Pharmaceutical Inspection Cooperation Scheme, can export them to Jalisco.
The oncology drugs prequalified by the prequalification program for medicines and vaccines of the World Health Organization are also eligible for the export to the Latin American country.
Considering that this may be a big opportunity for the Indian companies, Pharmexcil has requested the member companies which can provide the said medicines in the list and have the sanitary registration/approval of COFEPRIS (Mexico) or any other approvals as mentioned above to submit the details to it.
It is advisable to analyze the overall need for a single import, because once the medicine has entered, it is mandatory to apply for health registration within 5 days for future imports (only the first entry of goods into the country is exempt from health registration). The entry must be by complete batches, no separate vials or unidose are allowed. From the amount entered into the country, 4 to 5% is taken to show compliance with national and international standards in regulation of good practices in the elaboration of medicines.
In Jalisco, public hospitals are affected by the shortage of cancer medicines. They buy the drugs from distributors certified by the government who bring them from abroad, which is very costly, sources said, adding that the prices of oncology products have soared because of the shortages.
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