Karnataka Cancels 16 Licences Over Spurious Drugs
Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drugs Administration has cancelled 16 drug licences and suspended eight others as part of an investigation into the alleged distribution and sale of spurious medicines. The action includes suspension of a Pfizer wholesale depot in Nelamangala.
Karnataka Expands Spurious Drug Investigation
The regulatory action follows an August 18 raid on a farmhouse in Bidadi, Bengaluru South district, where officials allegedly uncovered an unlicensed medicine repacking and relabelling operation.
Authorities seized medicines, injection-filling equipment, labels, stamps and other material valued at around Rs 5.05 crore. Investigators allege that cheaper medicines procured from other states were being repackaged and falsely presented as expensive imported life-saving drugs.
16 Drug Licences Cancelled, Eight Suspended
The cancelled licences include those belonging to pharmaceutical retailers and wholesalers such as Avesco Healthcare, Bangalore Speciality Pharma, Patel Medi Trade, Rajarajeshwari Pharma, N.S. Pharma, Surya Speciality Pharma, Krupa Healthcare and St Philomena Hospital Drug Centre.
Eight licences were suspended, including those of Med Pharma, Surya Speciality Hospital, Vivantha Pharmaceuticals, Maruthi Medicals, Viva Pharma, Hi-5 Pharma and Pfizer Ltd’s Nelamangala wholesale depot.
Medicines Worth Rs 5.05 Crore Seized
Officials said the seized stock included thousands of injectable vials, including products carrying labels for CEFIAVIGENT, HIZLAM and EMBLAVEO. Thirty boxes of expired medicines were also recovered.
The medicines have been sent for laboratory testing to determine their composition, sterility and potency. Authorities have also blocked relevant batch numbers on the Karnataka drug regulatory portal.
A criminal case has been registered under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, while investigators continue tracing the supply chain and identifying others allegedly connected to the operation.
