Bangladeshi drug maker eyes Chinese market more with new generic products

DHAKA, July 23 (Xinhua) — A leading Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals company that immensely relies on Chinese API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) has planned to further bolster its dominant position in the country’s demand for generic drugs specially.
The Dhaka-based Beacon Pharmaceuticals Limited says the company is helping Chinese patients with 15 of its 16 products.
Steps are underway to send 25 more Beacon products to Chinese market, Shahriar Tomal, a spokesman of Beacon Medicare Limited that oversees Beacon pharmaceuticals’ overseas market, told Xinhua recently.
“We want to start our promotion activity in Hong Kong shortly with two more oncology products.”
He said Beacon has been manufacturing hi-tech oncology products.
“We’re very famous in Bangladesh and other countries for our oncology products.”
Right now the company says it has been exporting its pharma products to more than 120 countries.
Among them, Tomal said they have their own operations in 30 countries.
In case of international business, he said, right now China is contributing 25-28 percent to the     Bangladeshi company’s total overseas sales.
Tomal said they source high quality API as part of maintaining  GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) in producing high quality drugs.
“Maximum API in the world is supplied by China. Many companies are producing high quality API there.
For our products we are sourcing some products, some API from China, European Union and Latin America. For selection of API, we have selection procedures. We strictly maintain selection procedures. We ensure quality of APIs and quality of products.”
“The efficacy of products, the quality of products make us famous. Now Beacon is one of the renowned generic product suppliers of the world.
According to the official, Beacon is manufacturing near 100 oncology products.
“Among them, we have 20 some such products (for which), we are only generic option in the world after the innovated products.”
Many patients even in first world countries can’t afford right cancer treatment because such medicines are very expensive, he said adding prices of their products are relatively cheaper.
As per the WTO (World Trade Organization) regulations, Tomal said Bangladesh is enjoying patent waver opportunity till 2033.
Among the all LDCs, he said Bangladesh is well developed in pharmaceuticals industry.
“That is why as per law we can produce patent product. So we are producing all our oncology products even tablet, capsule and inject-able products in our dedicated facility. It is required for that.”  Enditem