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Monday,
May 7, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Unauthorised drugs on sale in HP Shimla, May 6 In a stinker to the state government, the ministry has pointed out the case of a new drug “manforce”, the local version of viagra, being manufactured and marketed by Relax Pharmaceuticals, a Paonta-based unit, in violation of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act. Mr Javed Chaudhary, Union Health Secretary has, in a letter to the Chief Secretary, expressed shock and surprise over how the state allowed the manufacture of the medicine for which the Drug Controller of India had not granted licence. He has asked the state government to take immediate action to stop the manufacture of the drug and ensure that the drug already in the market was withdrawn. Under the Act for the manufacture and sale of any new drug a licence has to be obtained from the Drug Controller of India. The permission is granted by the state licencing authority (the state Drug Controller) on its basis. A copy of the licence given by the Drug Controller of India has to be attached along with the application for seeking permission to manufacture or market any new drug. However, in the case of manforce, this mandatory requirement was not fulfilled and permission was granted. The state Health Minister, Mr J.P. Nadda, said the government was already seized of the matter and it had already ordered an inquiry. The preliminary inquiry had revealed that Mr S.K. Chaudhary, the then State Drug Controller, had granted permission to manufacture the drug overstepping his jurisdiction and the state government did not come into the picture. He was not at all empowered to grant permission. He said exemplary action would be taken against the officer concerned after the completion of the inquiry. It was revealed that the new drug was being manufactured and marketed since July last.Mr Vineet Chaudhary, Secretary, Health, said the government had initiated action in the matter even before it came to the notice of the Government of India. The scope of the inquiry had to be enlarged as during the investigation it had come to notice that the state Drug Controller had granted permission to the company for the manufacture of 19 other medicines without the mandatory clearance by the Drug Controller of India. The government was not looking into all permissions granted during the tenure of the officer concerned. He said a show-cause notice, as required under the Act had already been served on the company for the cancellation of the licence granted in violation of law. Action would be taken as soon as the reply was received. Due procedure had to be followed so that there was no legal infirmity in the government action. Mr Chaudhary said action had also been initiated against the officer concerned and he had been asked to explain his position.  |
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