NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday cancelled the licences of 18 pharmaceutical companies for manufacturing of spurious medicines following an inspection by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on 76 companies across 20 states.
“Huge crackdown under way on pharma companies across the country related to manufacturing of spurious medicines,” news agency ANI reported quoting sources.
“Action on 70 companies in Himachal Pradesh and 45 in Uttarakhand and 23 in Madhya Pradesh during government crackdown on companies manufacturing spurious medicines,” it added.
The crackdown comes against the backdrop of government seeking to tighten the noose on epharmacies for conducting business in alleged violation of norms.
A bunch of epharmacies including Netmeds, Tata 1mg and PharmEasy were served showcause notices by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) last month for undertaking operations in contravention of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The companies, which have been trying to get an audience with the health ministry since then, has not yet been granted one.
Three senior employees of Marion Biotech were arrested by Noida police after an FIR was lodged against them on charges of manufacturing and sale of adulterated drugs.
Marion Biotech had come under the scanner in December 2022 over reports of the children’s death in Uzbekistan after which India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) initiated a probe into the matter and found 22 out of 36 samples “not of standard quality” (adulterated and spurious).
“Huge crackdown under way on pharma companies across the country related to manufacturing of spurious medicines,” news agency ANI reported quoting sources.
“Action on 70 companies in Himachal Pradesh and 45 in Uttarakhand and 23 in Madhya Pradesh during government crackdown on companies manufacturing spurious medicines,” it added.
The crackdown comes against the backdrop of government seeking to tighten the noose on epharmacies for conducting business in alleged violation of norms.
A bunch of epharmacies including Netmeds, Tata 1mg and PharmEasy were served showcause notices by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) last month for undertaking operations in contravention of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The companies, which have been trying to get an audience with the health ministry since then, has not yet been granted one.
Three senior employees of Marion Biotech were arrested by Noida police after an FIR was lodged against them on charges of manufacturing and sale of adulterated drugs.
Marion Biotech had come under the scanner in December 2022 over reports of the children’s death in Uzbekistan after which India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) initiated a probe into the matter and found 22 out of 36 samples “not of standard quality” (adulterated and spurious).
