Indian moves on opium-based drugs

An Indian Finance Ministry draft notification proposes to allow private pharmaceutical companies to process opium and manufacture opium-based drugs such as morphine, codeine, thebaine and noscapine for export.

The notification seeks changes in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic substances rules and schedules. The decision will end the government's 200-year old monopoly over processing of raw opium and help step up export of these drug intermediates. Allowing private players in the sector is also expected to facilitate modern technology manufacturing of codeine phosphate, a major ingredient in cough preparations. At present, codeine phosphate is imported.

India, which industry sources say is the only country with the legal mandate under the Vienna-based International Narcotics Control Bureau to export raw opium and produce morphine through conventional processing, in the 12 months to March 31 exported 500 tonnes of raw opium to Australia and France at $72 a kilo.