IPCA Labs Says It Will Start Exporting Hydroxychloroquine To U.S. Soon

IPCA Laboratories Ltd. said it would soon start exporting hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug that yielded promising yet inconclusive results in a small coronavirus trial, to the U.S.

As for the exact date, “everything depends on what kind of allocation they (the government) give for exports and internal supplies”, Ajit Kumar Jain, joint managing director at the Mumbai-based drugmaker, told BloombergQuint in an interview. “We have capacity to produce 10 crore tablets and 20 tonnes of active pharmaceutical ingredients. By June, we will have 13 crore tablet capacity and 26 tonnes API capacity, which will be fully utilised.”

Indian and global API makers ramped up the production of hydroxychloroquine after a preliminary French study showed their efficacy in the treatment of people suffering from Covid-19. The novel coronavirus, which has so far infected nearly two million people worldwide, has a wide range of symptoms, including fever, coughing and breathing difficulties.

And in view of potential drug shortages or medical emergency, the U.S. drug regulator made an exception from import alert for IPCA Laboratories’ active pharma ingredient facility in Ratlam and formulation units in Indore and Piparia. India—the biggest producer of HCQ tablets—partially lifted the ban on the drug’s export on April 7 after U.S. President Donald Trump said his country could “retaliate” if it did not release stocks of hydroxychloroquine.

India at present produces 40 tonnes, or 20 crore tablets of 200 mg each, of HCQ every month. IPCA Laboratories, Zydus Cadila and Wallace Pharmaceuticals Ltd. are among the top pharma companies manufacturing the drug in India.

Jain said IPCA already supplied five crore tablets to the central and state governments in India as they work to build a buffer stock. They still have a “huge order pending”, he said.

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