The sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday formed a steering committee to recommend ways as to how to re-launch the low-cost, locally manufactured Interferon drug, used to treat hepatitis C and to give fortnightly progress report in this respect. Vice Chancellor Punjab University, Dr Mujahid Kamran will be the chairman of the steering committee, while pioneer of Interferon, Dr Riazuddin will be Deputy Chairman.
Two directors each from the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB) and the Centre of Applied Molecular Biology (CAMB) will be the members of the committee. Former Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology Khawaja Zaheer and former Chief Justice Lahore High Court will oversee the working of the committee. The PAC will further nominate a member from private sector. Primarily, the task of the committee is to prepare TORs and PC-1 for re-execution of the locally manufactured Interferon within 15 days.
Committee Member Khawaja Mohammad Asif also announced to file a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday to investigate the accused who were instrumental in stopping the marketing of Interferon, wastage of millions of rupees worth injections, which could save 35 to 40 people who are dying daily in Pakistan due to hepatitis.
Asif suggested the project would run in public-private partnership mode and member from private sector would be made part of the committee at a later stage. The committee met with Yasmeen Rehman in the chair. She disclosed that some quarters put tremendous pressure on her to stop further proceedings of the committee on Interferon, but she refused to do so in great national interest. The committee reviewed the circumstances, which discouraged the marketing of low-cost drugs.
The committee requested the renowned scientist Dr Samar Mubarakmand to assist the committee in preparation of TORs and PC-1 of the project in collaboration with Ministry of Science and Technology and Higher Education Commission (HEC). Dr Samar said Rs 95 million were required on an urgent basis for re-execution of the 'Project Interferon', suggesting the amount could be arranged through bridge financing, as Planning and Development Division did not have enough funding for the project. The project might get finance from HEC, he urged.
Dr Samar added that it would take five months to certify laboratories, which would restart research on the project. He emphasised that laboratories must be established as per international standard and these should produce Interferon on permanent basis. He further suggested that samples of low-cost drug should be sent to Germany and UK for testing and the drug must be tested on trial basis on animals first. Responding to a question, he said a private company might be set up for the production of hepatitis drug on commercial basis.
Dr Riazuddin said some four years ago, the cost of the locally manufactured Interferon injection was Rs 35. Even today, he said the cost was not much, which is Rs 50. He said the local hepatitis drug would be purchased against Rs 3,600 for whole treatment. The cost of 72 US-made hepatitis injections stood at Rs 64,800, he added. Executive Director, HEC, Professor Sohail H Naqvi declined the request on the grounds that the commission was already under tremendous stress due to the liabilities because second quarter's releases had yet to made by the Ministry of Finance.
Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology, Akhlaq Ahmed Tarar, rejecting the criticism on the role of his ministry, said his ministry always supported the project and it was unjust to project the ministry a culprit. He elaborated that all the samples of past research of 'Interferon' sent to Ministry of Health for vetting. It was Ministry of Health, which pointed out certain objections to the project and the project had to be suspended. He said PC-1 of the project would be tabled before Ecnec for approval.
In the last meeting of the PAC, the case of 'Interferon' was handed over to NAB for investigation after FIA gave Dr Riazuddin a clean chit. The NAB officials disclosed that the bureau had collected the FIA investigation data regarding the project and in contact with the ministry to get further details. The officials maintained that an investigation was under way to fix the responsibility against those who were found guilty. The chairman assured the committee that they would contact the Prime Minister for funding the project. Letters of appreciations were handed over to Dr Riazuddin and officials of FIA (Sami-u-Rehman and Khalid Anees).