Prescription death

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug NSAID Diclofenac Sodium is a pain reliever. It also lowers fever. More than 100 Indian manufacturers and 76 Chinese manufacturers produce this drug, easily available across the counter in tablet and injection forms, costing about Rs 22-24 for a 30-ml vial. While diclofenac is widely used in humans for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and muscle-skeletal relief, only South Asian countries use it for veterinary purposes.

In India, it was introduced for use in humans by Novartis of Switzerland in the late 80s. The patent expired in 1990 and mass production of the veterinary version picked up in the early 90s. Though Novartis never manufactured veterinary diclofenac, the present index in India lists 46 formulations of diclofenac produced by 25 companies 8211; including majors like Ranbaxy and Wockhardt.

While no published data is available on the veterinary pharma market in India , BNHS offers some figures based on extrapolation of 1988 data published by Operations Research Group on Animal Health market and current market research:

8226; Estimated market size: Rs 20-25 crore

8226; Estimated number of 30 ml units consumed: 10-12 million

8226; Estimated number of animals treated: 5-6 million

THE ALTERNATIV

Meloxicam is a newer generation NSAID. Used in humans in 80 countries and licensed as a veterinary drug. At present, a few Indian companies have switched to meloxicam from diclofenac but the drug is not much in use due to its higher price Rs 30-45 per 30 ml.