Making country CFC-free: Beximco brings new inhaler in market

From The New Nation
Another brand of CFC-fee inhaler, manufactured by Beximco Pharma hit the market while international Ozone phase-out bodies seen it as a great private-public stride to phase out use of ozone depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
Bangladesh as a signatory to Montreal Protocol, need to phase out use of all CFCs by December this year. But, pharmaceuticals remains as a challenge for Bangladesh because of its essential use to produce inhaler for about three million people who suffer from Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD.
Addressing a technical session on the inauguration of the new brand of CFC-free MDI at a city hotel on Friday, acting Director General of DOE Dr Fazley Rabbi said, Bangladesh is working for declaring it CFC-free at the end of 2012.
According to the officials of the Ozone Cell in the Department of Environment (DOE), Bangladesh still needs about 70 metric tones of CFC annually for the essential MDI sector, despite successful removal of the gases from aerosol and refrigeration.
Bangladesh has so far received about US dollar three million from Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund (MLF) for conversion of CFC- made MDI to non-CFC.
But, Chief Officer of the MLF Maria Nolan observed that Bangladesh has made substantive delay in commencing the implementation of the project placing the country in non-compliance with its commitment under Montreal Protocol.
She however, praised the accomplishment of Bangladeshi pharmaceutical industry for taking initiative for formulating, testing and launching MDIs with their own resources.
Head of Ozone Action of the UNEP Rajendra Shende, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund Dr Hasamuddin Ahmedzai, senior Technical Advisor of Montreal Protocol Nandan Chirmulay and president of Implementation of Non- compliance Procedure of Montreal Protocol were present among others, on the occasion.
Demand of MDI, a modern treatment for Asthma/COPD patient is increasing due to higher economic growth and increase in affordability of people. But it was also challenging to smooth transition of the existing CFC based MDI sector to non-CFC to ensure uninterrupted supply of the medicine side by side with pausing release of CFC to atmosphere.
In Asia and Pacific region, CFC based MDI manufacturing companies located only in Bangladesh, China, India, Iran and Pakistan.
are also imported from EU, Australia and other regional producers.
A few pharmaceutical companies have already launched CFC free alternatives to CFC MDIs and more CFC-free MDIs will be come to market later next year, Atul Bagai said.
Beximco, leading pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh is the single largest producer of MDI in the country and the first and largest company to offer CFC-free MDI.

Courtesy of BSS, Dhaka