Alchem commits to keep producing digoxin
Plant derived chemicals firm - which has offices in India, Swizterland and the US - commited to continue making the APIs - which are used to treat heart conditions, travel sickness and IBS, respectively - in a moved desigend to reassure drugmakers they will be available for the long term.
ALchem said: "Decisions by other API suppliers to cease hyoscine hydrobromide, hyoscyamine and digoxin production and regulatory supporthave caused some uneasiness among pharmaceutical manufacturers, which we can help resolve."
When asked for clarification Alchem told in-Pharmatechnologist.com that: "Digoxin has not been subject of an official notification as yet but we are getting customers switching to Alchem International to maintain dossier support for their registrations.
"For hyoscamine and hyoscine hydrobromide the manufacturer was Boehringer Ingelheim."
We asked Boehringer Ingelheim to confirm that it has ceased production of the two actives, but the firm did not respond ahead of publication.
Production investment
Alchem will make the three drug activesat its facility in Ballabhgargh, India where it has recently established a dedicated production and packing unit to cater for customers seeking to import the actives to Europe.
The firm told in-Pharmatechnologist.com that: "The overall investment in the project was several millions of USD and jobs were created."
Specific production and packing capabilities include those necessary for the manufacture of tropane alkaloids such as methscopolamine bromide (CTD DMF), scopolamine base (CTD DMF), cimetropium bromide (CTD DMF) and scopine HCL.
