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Pakistan and Binden Pharma: Improving Access to Medicine |
One of the pressing challenges that Pakistan had been grappling with pertained to the availability and accessibility of essential medicines for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH). These vital medications were being imported from foreign countries, incurring substantial costs. In an earnest attempt to address this predicament, a solution was devised: local manufacturing. To embark on this path, it was imperative to ensure that these medications were included in the WHO’s list of essential medicines.
Initially, local manufacturers exhibited a lack of interest due to the relatively modest profit margins stemming from the limited consumer base. However, in a laudable endeavour to safeguard human lives, Dr. Jamal Raza, the Director of NICH (National Institute of Child Health), undertook the initiative and succeeded in persuading one of Pakistan's local manufacturers. Dr. Latif Sheikh, serving as the Chief Pharmacist at a tertiary care private hospital, played a pivotal role in facilitating this transformative process. Tabros Pharma assumed the mantle of manufacturing these essential medicines, christening them as "Corticort 10 mg" (hydrocortisone) and "Flucort 0.1 mg" (fludrocortisone acetate). The cost of these medications was significantly lower than that of the previously imported counterparts. Hydrocortisone, once priced at 1 USD per tablet, now costs a mere 2 cents per tablet, while fludrocortisone, formerly priced at 1.4 USD, now stands at a mere 4 cents.
The year 2019 bore witness to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, compounding the issue of medicine distribution in Pakistan. People found themselves expending substantial sums and effort on travel to procure these life-saving medications. In a collaborative effort supported by CLAN, a solution emerged: the medicines were dispatched directly to the doorsteps of individuals residing in rural areas across Pakistan. This proactive measure was implemented to ensure that no child was left without access to essential CAH medications, thereby averting life-threatening situations due to the lack of access.
Following the triumphant establishment of local CAH medicine production in Pakistan, the initiative took flight on the global stage in April 2022, with sustained backing from CLAN. These crucial medicines were exported to Zimbabwe, followed by a subsequent export to Sri Lanka in 2023. At the heart of this international endeavour, Mr. Muzamil Barry from Binden Pharma played a pivotal role in facilitating exports to other countries. Remarkably, the latest updates bear testament to the fact that not a single child afflicted with CAH has perished since the commencement of medicine exports to Zimbabwe.
Initially, local manufacturers exhibited a lack of interest due to the relatively modest profit margins stemming from the limited consumer base. However, in a laudable endeavour to safeguard human lives, Dr. Jamal Raza, the Director of NICH (National Institute of Child Health), undertook the initiative and succeeded in persuading one of Pakistan's local manufacturers. Dr. Latif Sheikh, serving as the Chief Pharmacist at a tertiary care private hospital, played a pivotal role in facilitating this transformative process. Tabros Pharma assumed the mantle of manufacturing these essential medicines, christening them as "Corticort 10 mg" (hydrocortisone) and "Flucort 0.1 mg" (fludrocortisone acetate). The cost of these medications was significantly lower than that of the previously imported counterparts. Hydrocortisone, once priced at 1 USD per tablet, now costs a mere 2 cents per tablet, while fludrocortisone, formerly priced at 1.4 USD, now stands at a mere 4 cents.
The year 2019 bore witness to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, compounding the issue of medicine distribution in Pakistan. People found themselves expending substantial sums and effort on travel to procure these life-saving medications. In a collaborative effort supported by CLAN, a solution emerged: the medicines were dispatched directly to the doorsteps of individuals residing in rural areas across Pakistan. This proactive measure was implemented to ensure that no child was left without access to essential CAH medications, thereby averting life-threatening situations due to the lack of access.
Following the triumphant establishment of local CAH medicine production in Pakistan, the initiative took flight on the global stage in April 2022, with sustained backing from CLAN. These crucial medicines were exported to Zimbabwe, followed by a subsequent export to Sri Lanka in 2023. At the heart of this international endeavour, Mr. Muzamil Barry from Binden Pharma played a pivotal role in facilitating exports to other countries. Remarkably, the latest updates bear testament to the fact that not a single child afflicted with CAH has perished since the commencement of medicine exports to Zimbabwe.