Action taken months after reported cough syrup deaths
AMN / WEB DESK
The Drug Controller General of India has canceled the licenses of 18 pharmaceutical companies for producing counterfeit drugs. The decision by the DGCA was taken after it examined 76 enterprises across 20 states and union territories, with close to 203 firms being identified for review.
According to a notification by DGCI, Most of the 18 pharma companies whose license has been canceled are from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, two of the firms are from Madhya Pradesh and one each from Maharashtra and Haryana. This comes months after two Indian pharma companies Maiden and Marion pharmaceuticals have been linked to the deaths of children in Gambia and Uzbekistan, who consumed their cough syrups.
In the first phase of examination, in over 15 days licenses of 76 companies were canceled for manufacturing substandard drugs and for violation of Good Manufacturing Practice guidelines.
Show cause notices to pharma companies
Uttarakhand-based firms Himalaya Meditek, Amscot Health Series and Pure and Cure Healthcare licenses have been canceled. Show cause and stop manufacturing notices were given to Shri Sai Balaji Pharmatech from Himachal Pradesh and Medipol Pharmaceutical India, but it was later revoked after verification of compliance. Show cause notice was also issued to Zim Laboratories from Haryana and Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh’s Nestor Pharmaceuticals and Sun Aj Pharma and Vintochem Pharmaceuticals.
Uttarakhand-based firms Himalaya Meditek, Amscot Health Series and Pure and Cure Healthcare licenses have been canceled. Show cause and stop manufacturing notices were given to Shri Sai Balaji Pharmatech from Himachal Pradesh and Medipol Pharmaceutical India, but it was later revoked after verification of compliance. Show cause notice was also issued to Zim Laboratories from Haryana and Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh’s Nestor Pharmaceuticals and Sun Aj Pharma and Vintochem Pharmaceuticals.