LAHORE, July 26: The only pharmaceutical company locally manufacturing life-saving thyroxine drug has ‘almost stopped’ its production, which has led to the shortage of the medicine all over the country. One of the major reasons behind low production of thyroxine was the pricing issue, a source close to the company’s management told Dawn. The company was manufacturing thyroxine tablet for the cure of life-threatening disease at retail price of 50 paisa only.

If immediate solution to this problem was not found out, it might lead to a health disaster as lives of hundreds of thousands of patients were at grave risk, the source said.

A patient with thyroid problem is advised the drug for the rest of his life, a consultant says.

The source said seven pharmaceutical companies including GlaxoSmithKline had been given registration to produce thyroxine.

He said ever since the registration had been granted, six of these companies were not manufacturing the drug owing to its low pricing issue and the only one had almost stopped its production.

Of the six pharmaceutical companies, Danas Pharma was granted registration for the production of the drug thyril of 50 mcg, Dosaco Pharma for thyroxine of 50 mcg, Global Pharma for thyroxine of 50 mcg, Platinum Pharma for thyrox of 50 mcg, Pharmedic for thyrox of 50 mcg and Syntax Pharma for thyrotex of 50 mcg. Each drug was supposed to carry pack size of 100 tablets.

He said the medicine under generic name also was not available in the local market. He said the federal government and the Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) were clueless how to address the shortage of the drug.

Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association President Muhammad Asad Khwaja said though the country was facing acute shortage of the life-saving drug, the situation would turn normal in a few weeks or so. He said the federal government had revised price of the drug on the repeated requests of companies two months ago. As the price increase was not reasonable, the companies were reluctant to produce the drug.

The government had increased Rs10 to Rs20 per pack of 100 tablets of thyroxine drug, he said.

Mr Khwaja, who is owner of Global Pharma, said his company had started producing the drug shortly after the revision of its price.

“The association is in contact with some pharmaceutical companies and I hope they would start production of the life-saving drug within a few weeks,” he said.

The source said an alternate imported drug was available at the cost Rs500 for a pack size of 100 tablets but the consultants advise the use of local medicine.

Meanwhile, hoarders, stockists and distributors have taken its price to its peak. They are selling thyroxine pack of 100 tablets at Rs350 against its actual price of Rs50.

The medical store owners have prepared lists of customers to sell the drug at the price of their choice,” a pharmacist said, adding that the black marketeering of the drug was going on unchecked.

A medical expert says a small decline in the production of thyroid hormones can have dramatic effects on the cells of the brain, heart, liver, kidney, skin and bones.