G D ZALANI Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) LEAVE granted.

(2.) HINDUSTAN Antibiotics Limited (H.A.L.) is engaged in the manufacture of several antibiotic drugs including Pencillin-G. It has a plant at Pimpri in the State of Maharashtra. Though the installed capacity of the plant is 1600MMM, it has been able to produce only 850MMU. H.A.L. is a Government company fully owned by the Government of India. There is another Government company, I.D.P.L.producing the same drug. We are told that at present there is only one unit in private sector, Alembic, which is producing the said drug. The total production of Penn-G within the country is sufficient to meet only 45% of the country's total requirement. The remaining 55% is being imported. The price of the imported Penn-G is half the price at which the locally produced drug is sold.

(3.) ACCORDING to a Government of India publication "Technology in India Pencillin-G/V Industry"- a status report prepared under the national register of foreign collaboration (published in April, 1991)- Panlabs have developed strains capable of yielding above 60,000 units/ml within a relatively short period. Antibioticos of Spain has developed strains yielding 60,000 units/ml whereas G.B. are working at R & D level with strains capable of yielding above 80,000 units/ml. The production capability of most of the companies around the world is 60,000 units/ ml. Only G.B. seems to be ahead. The said publication also states that most of the important information relating to Pencillin technology is not published since the companies keep it a closely guarded secret.