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The persistent efforts of the drugs control administration (DCA) in Telangana to eradicate counterfeit and spurious drugs from the market seems to be in vain as the drug market is still rife with duplicates of major companies, reports of recent seizures issued by the department show.
According to an official release, most of the spurious and counterfeit drugs the drug control authorities are seizing are duplicates of major players or multinational companies.
In the latest raid which happened last week at Second Bazar in Secunderabad, the officials seized counterfeit versions of ‘Montek-LC tablets (montelukast sodium and levocetirizine hydrochloride tablets), a brand of Sun Pharma Laboratories Ltd. When the drug control authorities collected a comparison statement for the suspected batches from the original manufacturer, Sun Pharma, who confirmed to the authorities that the seized items were counterfeit/spurious versions of their brand.
This is the second time in the last three months’ period the drug control authorities seize counterfeit versions of Montek-LC, which is used in the management of signs and symptoms of allergic rhinitis, chronic idiopathic urticaria and bronchial asthma.
On January 2, this year, the regulators raided the premises of wholesale dealers in Hyderabad and seized spurious and counterfeit versions of Montek-LC tablets, falsely claimed to be manufactured by the licenced company, Sun Pharma.
Six months ago, the department seized huge quantities of counterfeit versions of ‘Vertin 8’ and ‘Vertin 16’ (betahistine tablets IP 8 mg) and (betahistine tablets IP 16 mg), labelled as products manufactured by the reputed drug manufacturing company, Abbott India Ltd, after conducting raids at Sultan Bazar and Moosarambagh in Hyderabad. These drugs are used to treat ear-diseases and disorders. The counterfeit drugs were circulated in the market by some unauthorised dealers of grey marketing companies.
In the same period, the enforcement officials registered a case against an illegal drug manufacturer who was clandestinely manufacturing counterfeit drug versions of reputed pharma companies in unlicensed premises in Medchal-Malkajgiri district. This was the first criminal case registered by police against manufacturing of counterfeit drugs by illegal drug manufacturers under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. After seizing huge quantities of spurious medicines, the drug control officials, along with police, busted the clandestine drugs manufacturing facility in Doolapally in Medchal-Malkajgiri district.
On November 26 last year, the drug control authorities busted the attempt of a pharmaceutical manufacturing company, Jodas Expoim Pvt. Ltd, dealing in specialty medicines, to export antibiotics to Russia falsely labelled as their own products, but were manufactured by other companies.
When Pharmabiz contacted the chairman of the Telangana state board of the drug manufacturers association (TS IDMA) J Rajamouli, he said the spurious and counterfeit drugs that are being seized by the drug control authorities are not manufactured in Telangana, but they come from other states. According to him, there are some unauthorised marketing and manufacturing companies who clandestinely supply products to the market. He said the drug control département is strongly working to nab such culprits to save the pharma sector and the people. Mouli extended all support to the department.
Talking to Pharmabiz, Rajamouli said the Telangana DCA is not doing any harm to the authorised manufacturers, but they focus on anti-social elements in the industry.
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