Samples of 70 medicines failed in CDSCO test, many medicines also produced in Punjab

Chandigarh: The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has identified 40 medicines and vaccines produced by 25 pharmaceutical companies in Himachal Pradesh as being of low quality, failing to meet established standards.

These include treatments for asthma, fever, diabetes, high blood pressure, allergies, epilepsy, cough, antibiotics, bronchitis, and gastric issues. Additionally, multivitamins, including calcium supplements, did not pass the quality test.

Remarkably, this marks the first instance where such a large number of drug samples in the region simultaneously failed quality standards. The nationwide situation is concerning, with over 70 medicines failing tests, including 40 from Himachal alone.

The CDSCO issued a drug alert in December, emphasizing the seriousness of the issue. Substandard medicines were produced in pharmaceutical industries located at Baddi, Barotiwala, Nalagarh, Solan, Kala Amb, Pavanta Sahib, and Sansarpur Terrace.

Furthermore, samples of 38 types of medicines from pharmaceutical industries in Uttarakhand, Punjab, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai, Telangana, and Delhi also failed the quality test. Among the companies under investigation, eight samples from Baddi’s Alliance Biotech Company and five samples from Cana Biogenetic Company have simultaneously failed.

Deputy Drug Controller Manish Kapoor has confirmed an immediate ban on Cana Biogenetic Company’s production, and further investigation will be carried out on Alliance Pharma Company’s medicines. The drug department is prepared to take stringent action under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, emphasizing the removal of compromised drugs from the market.