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Business Health
SPMC records highest ever profit in 2007:
Agreements for export orders signed
Nadira GUNATILLEKE
The State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation (SPMC) has
recorded Rs. 80 million in profit in 2007. This is the highest profit
recorded by the Corporation in its history, a Ministry spokesman said.
The SPMC manufactures around 245 pharmaceuticals.
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Sample: Chairman of the SPMC M.A.P. Hemachandra handing a
sample produced by the SPMC to Healthcare and Nutrition
Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. |
Diltiazem Hydrochloride tablets USP 60 mg for Angina attack and
Hypertension, Atenolol tablets BP 50 mg for high blood pressure, enteric
coated aspirin tablets 150 mg which is used as a pain killer and
commonly used for fever and Theophylline Extended Release tablets 150 mg
for Asthma and Dialysis and also for Arthritis condition are few newly
introduced drugs.
Arrangements have also been made to produce four new syrups. The
Government has spent a large amount of funds to import the above drugs
so far. The SPMC has also increased the number of shifts to two and this
is another factor that contributed to the increase in profits in 2007
than 2006.
The total value of production in 2006 was Rs. 7.52 million and it
increased up to Rs. 8.53 million.
The export value in 2007 has increased up to Rs. 29.70 million from
17.15 million in 2006.
The income of the SPMC has increased ten times than in 2006 which is
Rs. 81.28 million.
SPMC has signed several agreements for the export of drugs to
countries such as Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Bangladesh.
SPMC has also planned to produce five more new products commencing in
2008.
BCC oil to increase production
BCC Lanka is to increase the white oil and Cooks-Joy production from
20 MT to 50 MT per month under its development plan for 2008. The
company is hoping to achieve this target by updating the oil refinery
and upgrading the machinery in the drum plant.
The company which was running at a loss earlier has recorded a profit
of Rs. 2,947 million during the period from January to September this
year by manufacturing, distributing and marketing coconut oil related
products, detergents, toiletries and other personal care products.
The products have been marketing mainly in Colombo district, Kandy,
Kalutara and other suburban areas.
RK
GSK announces....
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced the submission of a New Drug
Application (NDA) to the United States Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) for approval to market PROMACTATM/REVOLADETM (eltrombopag).
If approved, eltrombopag would be the first oral platelet growth
factor therapy for the short-term treatment of previously treated
patients with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) to
increase platelet counts and reduce or prevent bleeding.
Chronic ITP is a disorder marked by increased platelet destruction
and/or inadequate platelet production in the blood, which causes an
increased risk of bruising and bleeding.1,2 Eltrombopag is an
investigational, once-daily oral treatment that induces the
proliferation and differentiation of cells in the bone marrow to produce
platelets.
“Patients with chronic ITP do not have a treatment option that offers
the convenience of an oral platelet growth factor,” said Paolo Paoletti,
M.D. Senior Vice President of the Oncology Medicine Development Center
at GSK.
“GSK is pleased with the data provided to support the NDA and hopeful
that, if approved, PROMACTA/REVOLADE may provide physicians and chronic
ITP patients with a new, convenient and effective option for treating
this difficult disease.”
GSK also plans to submit a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA)
for eltrombopag in Europe in 2008.
(Medical News Today) |
