September 14, 2007:    Ipca's anti-malarial product - Artesunate tablets 50 mg pre-qualified by WHO 

Ipca Laboratories Limited has received approval for its Anti-malarial finished product formulation, Artesunate Tablets 50mg under WHO's Prequalification Programme. The product is now listed in the WHO Pre-qualification product list, dated 30 August, 2007.

Artesunate 50 mg Tablets is an artemisinin based formulation which is recommended by WHO to be used in combination with other Anti-malarials, such as:

1.  Amodiaquine;

2.  Mefloquine; or

3.  Sulfadoxine + Pyrimethamine

The Prequalification Programme was created by the World Health Organisation in 2001. It aims to increase access to priority medicinal products that meet unified standards of acceptable quality, safety and efficacy, currently focusing on those medicines used, for treatment of diseases such as Malaria.

The list of prequalified medicinal products is used principally by United Nations agencies - including UNAIDS and UNICEF - to guide their procurement decisions. But, the list has become a vital tool for any agency or organisation involved in bulk purchasing of medicines, be this at country level, or at international level, as demonstrated by the Global Fund, to fight diseases such as Malaria.

Premchand Godha
Managing Director

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