US Revokes Visas of Indian Executives Linked to Fentanyl Trafficking

Why in News ?

• Recently, United States has revoked and denied visas of several top Indian pharmaceutical executives/leaders. 
• They are alleged to have been involved in the illegal trafficking of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid which is considered to be majorly responsible for the US drug crisis.
• The move is part of United States wider effort on global fentanyl supply chains.

Background: Fentanyl and the Global Crisis

• Fentanyl: A synthetic opioid, which has potential of  50 times stronger than heroin and near around, 100 times stronger than morphine.
• Medical Use: It prescribed by doctor for severe pain relief especially in cancer patients and as anaesthesia during surgery.
• Abuse Potential: It is highly addictive and its dose of  a few milligrams can be fatal and deadly.
• Crisis in the US:
  • The fentanyl is responsible for almost 20 thousand to 1 lakh of deaths by overdose annually.
  • The opioid use is like an epidemic in U.S and as a precautionary measure it has been declared as a national public health emergency.

What is opioid ?

• Opioids are a class of drugs that interact with particular  receptors in the human brain, spinal cord, and whole body to relieve pain and produces happiness .
• They could be natural, semi-synthetic and fully synthetic compounds.

Other kinds of Synthetic Opioid Chemicals

• Fentanyl: Severe pain management, surgical anesthesia
• Carfentanil: Veterinary sedation (not for humans)
• Alfentanil: Short-acting surgical anesthesia
• Sufentanil: High-potency anesthesia in surgeries
• Remifentanil: Ultra-short-acting anesthesia in critical care
• Tramadol: Moderate to severe pain relief
• Methadone: Chronic pain management, opioid substitution therapy
• U-47700: Illicit use, high overdose risk
• AH-7921: Illicit synthetic opioid, potent analgesic

Impact on Indian Business Executives and Corporate Leadership

• U.S have alleged that some Indian pharma companies and executives supplied precursor chemicals which is considered to be used in illicit fentanyl production.
• As a preventive measure, U.S has revoked their  visas to restrict travel and discourage such networks.

Implications for India

Diplomatic Angle

• This step could create a tension between  India-US relations  in the field of  pharmaceutical and trade sector.
• India might get unnecessary burden to ensure its drug regulation and monitoring systems.

Economic Impact

• India is believed to be a major exporter of generic drugs and medicines globally.
• Any issue arisen in the area of pharmaceutical can hamper our production of drugs.

Domestic Regulatory Gaps

• Poor handling of chemical precursors.
• The unregulated small-scale or shadow manufacturers are the challenges in monitoring.
• India need a mandatory  real-time tracking  to trace the pharma supply chains.

Way Forward

1. Strengthening  Drug Regulation
   • More stringent monitoring of pharmaceuticals exports and realted precursor chemicals.
   • Enhance cooperation between the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and pharma authorities.
2. International Cooperation
   • Collaborate  with the US, UNODC, and WHO to combat  global synthetic opioid trafficking.
   • Enhance and robust information-sharing mechanism.
3. Balancing Diplomacy and Industry Reputation
   • Ensure genuine Indian pharma exports are not unfairly scrutinised.
   • Protect the credibility of India’s pharmaceutical industry .

Ethical Dimensions

• Public Health vs. Profit: Before generating/creating drugs the pharma companies must prioritize human life over profit.
• Corporate collective responsibility: Executives need to be taken care if there is any misuse of their products negatively harm the people.
• Global Duty: India as the "pharmacy of the world," have to be more cautious towards the  moral responsibility to prevent misuse of its pharma exports.