<p>Within days of withdrawing customs duty exemption on a host of life saving drugs, the government today restored exemption on three of those drugs that are mainly used for treatment of hormonal disorders, growth failure and haemophilia.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) in a notification restored import duty exemption on three drugs -- Octreotide, Somatropin and Anti- Haemophilic Factor Concentrate (VIII and IX).<br /><br />The drug Octreotide is used to treat hormonal disorder, besides symptoms of severe diarrhoea and flushing caused by cancer.<br /><br />Somatropin is used to treat growth failure in children and adults who lack natural growth hormone. It is also used to treat chronic kidney failure.<br /><br />Anti- Haemophilic Factor Concentrate (VIII and IX) is a genetic bleeding disorder involving a lack of functional clotting of blood.<br /><br />Earlier this month, government had withdrawn customs duty exemptions on 74 drugs, including life saving ones used for treating cancer and HIV.<br /><br />The move was criticised as it would lead to a rise in prices of essential medicines. The government had defended it saying drugs removed from exemption list were capable of being produced in India and such a move would promote domestic manufacturing.<br /><br />The medicines on which customs duty was imposed included the ones used for treating kidney stones, cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy, life-threatening heart rhythm disorders, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, bone diseases and antibiotic to treat infections.<br /><br />Besides, drugs used for bacterial infections, leukemia, anaesthetic medication, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B virus cells, allergies, arthritis, lupus and ulcerative colitis were also removed from the exemption list, which originally had about 300 drugs.</p>
<p>Within days of withdrawing customs duty exemption on a host of life saving drugs, the government today restored exemption on three of those drugs that are mainly used for treatment of hormonal disorders, growth failure and haemophilia.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) in a notification restored import duty exemption on three drugs -- Octreotide, Somatropin and Anti- Haemophilic Factor Concentrate (VIII and IX).<br /><br />The drug Octreotide is used to treat hormonal disorder, besides symptoms of severe diarrhoea and flushing caused by cancer.<br /><br />Somatropin is used to treat growth failure in children and adults who lack natural growth hormone. It is also used to treat chronic kidney failure.<br /><br />Anti- Haemophilic Factor Concentrate (VIII and IX) is a genetic bleeding disorder involving a lack of functional clotting of blood.<br /><br />Earlier this month, government had withdrawn customs duty exemptions on 74 drugs, including life saving ones used for treating cancer and HIV.<br /><br />The move was criticised as it would lead to a rise in prices of essential medicines. The government had defended it saying drugs removed from exemption list were capable of being produced in India and such a move would promote domestic manufacturing.<br /><br />The medicines on which customs duty was imposed included the ones used for treating kidney stones, cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy, life-threatening heart rhythm disorders, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, bone diseases and antibiotic to treat infections.<br /><br />Besides, drugs used for bacterial infections, leukemia, anaesthetic medication, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B virus cells, allergies, arthritis, lupus and ulcerative colitis were also removed from the exemption list, which originally had about 300 drugs.</p>