Dutch Pharmacy Compounds Tiratricol for Indian Children
A low-cost compounded version of a rare-disease thyroid drug is being made for seven children in India after its commercial price rose sharply.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Allergies
Dutch and Indian physicians and civil society groups arranged compounding of tiratricol at The Hague for seven children in India with Allan Herndon-Dudley Syndrome. The compounded capsule will cost 1.8 euro, compared with 180 euro for the commercial tablet sold by Egetis in Germany.
Why it matters
The drug is prescribed for life, and the commercial price is unaffordable for many families, leaving children without consistent treatment. The effort also highlights concerns about how publicly funded research translates into access for patients worldwide.
Transvaal Pharmacy will compound tiratricol at 1.8 euro per capsule, 99 times cheaper than the 180 euro commercial tablet in Germany. The source does not state the timeline for the children to receive the compounded drug.
The players
Egetis
Egetis is a pharmaceutical company that holds European marketing authorisation for tiratricol and sells it commercially.
Erasmus MC
Erasmus MC is a Dutch university medical centre whose 2014 research found tiratricol could treat AHDS.
Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation
The Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation is a Dutch organisation that is coordinating efforts to make tiratricol available to children in India.
The details
Compounding is the process by which a medicine is custom-made in small quantities. Erasmus MC research funded with 14 million euro in public money found in 2014 that tiratricol could treat AHDS, but the university sold the intellectual property to Egetis without a fair price clause.
Timeline
1974: Tiratricol entered the French market for thyroid conditions.
2014: Erasmus MC research found tiratricol could treat AHDS.
2025: Egetis received European marketing authorisation with 10 years of market exclusivity.
Big Picture
Egetis received European marketing authorisation for tiratricol in 2025 with 10 years of market exclusivity. The commercial price rose from 0.35 euro per tablet in France in 2017 to nearly 180 euro per tablet in Germany by 2026, prompting this compounding effort.
Families of children with AHDS face a choice between unaffordable commercial pricing and compounded alternatives. The compounded capsule at 1.8 euro could make lifelong treatment far more accessible for those who can obtain it.
The takeaway
Lifelong rare-disease treatment depends not only on scientific discovery but also on how pricing and intellectual property are managed after public funding. Patients and families should watch how access policies develop as generic or compounded options expand.
Further reading
Explore more on Allergies for related context on rare conditions and treatment access.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Times of India.
