BCPL gets clearance for manufacturing hydroxychloroquine

Kolkata, April 10 (IANS) Central Public Sector Undertaking Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited (BCPL) on Friday got clearance from drug control authorities to manufacture Hydroxychloroquine, which is being considered effective in treating Covid-19 patients.The company got the licence days after the union government took the initiative for largescale manufacture of the drug in view of the raging pandemic.According to the company chairman P.M. Chandraiya, BCPL has the capability to churn out 10 lakh hydroxychloroquine tablets daily.Founded in 1901, BCPL is the country's first pharmaceutical company, and once manufactured Hydroychloroquine. However, it stopped manufacturing the product decades back.Chandraiya said the cost of raw materials for making the drug has gone up 20 times in the past few weeks."We have requested the union government to put a cap on the raw material prices," he said.
--IANS ssp/kr