ISLAMABAD: The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for the prevention and control of viral hepatitis has voiced concerns over claims by some medical practitioners and hospitals that they have a medicine that has been introduced in the US for the treatment of hepatitis.

Molecule sofosbuyir (brand name Sovaldi), manufactured by a US company, has not been officially made available in Pakistan.

Even if the government allows its import, it will not be affordable for majority of Pakistanis because of its exorbitant price, says TAG, an advisory group, comprising health experts.

The Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) has reportedly given permission to 504 hepatitis patients to import the medicine.

As many as 27 companies have applied for the licence to make generic copies of the medicine to make it affordable for ordinary patients in Pakistan.

On the other hand, a number of health practitioners and clinics have started claiming that they have the medicine, giving rise to the fear that they might be selling spurious drugs.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of NHS, TAG members Dr Huma Qureshi, Dr Michel Thieren, Dr Quaid Saeed, A Q Javed, Dr Abdul Samad and others met in the capital to discuss the issue on Friday.

The participants were told that some doctors/clinics were issuing statements in the press creating a false impression that the drug was available through them.

These statements are creating unnecessary hype and are misleading, the press release said.

TAG strongly discourages such irresponsible statements and has asked that the provincial government to take punitive actions against any such misconduct.

Participants of the meeting also discussed registration of the new medicine.

The TAG was told that this oral drug has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of hepatitis C. Thedrug reportedly, has much better cure rates than Interferon injections, with minimal side effects.

In Pakistan, the drug is under the process of registration.

TAG has recommended that the registration of this drug should be expedited for the benefit of huge number of hepatitis C patients, says the press release.

A participant of the meeting requesting not to be identified told Dawn that hepatitis C is one of the biggest challenges in some areas of Pakistan especially in Punjab.

`Each tablet is available at $1,000, and 180 tablets are required for hepatitis C treatment. So complete course will cost $180,000 (Rs18 million),` he said.

`The medicine is patented but as Pakistan, India and China are not signatories to copyright treaty, so Me-II (copy) of the medicine can be prepared in Pakistan.

As many as 27 companies have already applied with Drug Regulatory Authority to get licence for manufacturing the drug,` he said.

Replying to a question, he said, `We don`t know about the side effects of the medicine because change in environment and eating habits affect the effectiveness of the medicine,` he said.

`The TAG has suggested to the ministry to ensure that no one sells the medicine without assuring that medicine is effective in Pakistan,` he said.