Another pharma Eli Lilly shuts operation in Pakistan
Eli Lilly Pakistan, the manufacturer of Humalog medical insulin used for the treatment of diabetes, has decided to shut its operations in Pakistan.
The US-based company ‘Eli Lilly’ is closing its operation from Pakistan at a time when other pharmaceutical companies are suffering due to non-increase in the prices of medicines in Pakistan.
In a letter written to the doctors, the US-based pharmaceutical company said, it was stopping promotional efforts in Pakistan from November 9.
The letter further added: “We remain committed to helping patients who need our medicines; and therefore, Lilly will continue to make our products available in Pakistan through our distributor.”
Ayesha Tammy Haq, Executive Director of Pharma Bureau, representing multinational pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan, expressed regret that the company’s new products will not be available to Pakistani patients in the future.
“The company deals in insulin, which means diabetic patients will now be deprived of quality medicines,” Ms Haq said.
She informed that about 22 from 48 multinational pharmaceutical companies have closed their business in Pakistan in two decades ago, while one or two more companies were considering of closing their business from the country as it has become impossible for them to stay here and supply quality medicines at rates lower than the production cost.
Ms Haq said that she could not understand why the government was denying the quality medicines to the patients.
“When the value of the rupee had fallen to 370 against the dollar, the government had increased the prices of medicines by 40% to ensure the supply of medicines to the citizens in the country,” she said while citing the example of Sri Lanka.
Ayesha said that despite the significant decline in the value of the rupee in Pakistan and inflation reaching 30%, the prices of medicines in the country have not been changed. She added that, the government needs to make a strategy to ensure that companies would continue selling medicines rather than leaving the country.
