Kathmandu, December 26

Nepal Drugs Ltd (NDL) is set to produce paracetamol from the third week of January. NDL, which started producing medicines with oral rehydration salt (Jeevan Jal) from April, will be producing cetamol in the second phase.

Speaking at a press meet organised here today to brief about different production and reformative works that NDL has done since it was revived in May, Robus Kumar Subedi, general manager of NDL, said that more than 90 per cent works to start the production of cetamol from the aforementioned date have been completed.

“We recently completed the tender process regarding the procurement of raw materials for production of the drug, its packaging and distribution,” said Subedi.

Moreover, Subedi informed that a separate Tablet Manufacturing Unit has been formed at NDL to focus on production of paracetamol and other tablets. “We are optimistic that NDL will regain its previous legacy with the production of oral rehydration salt, paracetamol and different other varieties of medicines,” he said.

Set up over four decades ago, NDL was shut down in 2010 after it was unable to maintain the Good Manufacturing Practice, a global manufacturing standard prescribed by the World Health Organisation. However, Ministry of Industry had initiated a campaign to revive various defunct government industries from fiscal 2016-17.

In the third phase, NDL plans to produce medicines like iron tablets, antibiotics and cough syrups, among others.

Today, Subedi also informed that NDL management has taken different reformative moves since the firm was revived in a bid to make the enterprise and its products competitive in the market. Some works include upgrading quality control department as per the Good Laboratory Practice standard, establishing a research and development department and quality assurance department, as per Subedi.