11 of 59 substandard drugs from Himachal

Ambika Sharma

Solan, March 31

Uttarakhand has topped the list of substandard drugs with 15 of its drugs figuring in the list of 59 drugs declared substandard by the national drugs regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, today. Himachal is second with 11 of its drugs figuring in the list.

Firms to be put on notice

• Substandard drugs to be withdrawn, firms to be issued show-cause notices, says drugs controller
• Used for treating bacterial infections, acidity, pneumonia, liver disease, hypertension, diabetes
• Issues in assay content, dissolution & uniformity of weight behind drugs failing to meet quality parameters

Of the 1,251 drug samples tested from various states, 1,192 were declared of standard quality, while 59 were found lacking in quality nationally.

Seven drugs manufactured in Sikkim, six in Uttar Pradesh, three each in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, two each in Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka and Bengaluru, and one each in Haryana, Punjab, Telangana, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra also figure in the list, besides one from Bangladesh.

Navneet Marwaha, State Drugs Controller, said batches of drugs figuring in the list would be effectively withdrawn and the firms would be issued show-cause notices to identify the cause.

He said 10 drugs had been declared substandard, while one was a spurious drug manufactured by some firm in the name of Aristo Pharmaceuticals, Baddi.

He said they were continuously monitoring the drug quality and several firms were jointly inspected in risk-based inspections by the state and central authorities. Firms had been educated to upgrade their facility to meet the norms.

Drugs from pharmaceutical firms in Himachal which could not meet quality parameters are used for treating bacterial infections, acidity, for improving bone strength, pneumonia, liver disease, hypertension, diabetes and infection caused by worms. Issues in assay content, dissolution and uniformity of weight were among the major causes attributed to the drugs failing to meet the quality parameters. They affect the efficacy of the drug.

Firms whose samples were found lacking in quality are Events Corporation, Kala Amb; Healers Lab, Baddi; Terrace Pharmaceuticals, Sansarpur, Kangra; Aristo Pharmaceuticals, Baddi; Zee Laboratories, Paonta Sahib; Aishwarya Healthcare, Baddi; Unital Formulation, Baddi; Park Pharmaceuticals, Baddi; Quixotic Healthcare, Baddi; Cosmas Pharmacls, Barotiwala; and Spas Remedies, Baddi,

Ventoxen tablet manufactured in the industrial area at Kanchpur, Bangladesh, too figures in the list.