Bangladesh Gas Crisis Hits Paracetamol Production
A severe gas crisis has crippled production of paracetamol API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) in Bangladesh, leaving drugmakers to face higher costs due to increased prices. The country's reliance on imported pharmaceutical raw materials is further highlighted by this development.
Gonoshasthaya Basic Chemical Ltd, one of the leading API manufacturers in Bangladesh, has been unable to produce paracetamol API for the past 15 days. This is because its boiler runs on natural gas, which is currently in short supply. The company's managing director, ABM Jamal Uddin, stated that without the boiler, none of the supporting equipment can operate.
The shortage has also affected other industries across Bangladesh's manufacturing sector, with factories operating at reduced capacity due to low gas pressure. According to IQVIA (formerly IMS Health), medicines containing paracetamol are the fourth-highest-selling pharmaceutical product category in Bangladesh.