NEW DELHI: In a major crackdown on pharmaceutical companies selling substandard or spurious drugs, the Centre has cancelled the licences of 18 firms across the country, health ministry sources said on Tuesday.
These firms were found to be violating the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and, the sources said, in some cases, the samples of drugs being manufactured by them were found to be spurious or not-of-standard quality, leading to the government action.
The crackdown comes in the wake of two recent incidents reported from Uzbekistan and Gambia, where it was alleged medical products exported by two Indian firms to the two countries had certain contaminants that led to adverse reactions and the death of some patients.
The sources said a joint inspection was carried out in 20 states across the country by the Central Drug Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) and the state drug control administration.
“We identified 203 drug manufacturing units for potential violation of GMP. In phase-I of nationwide crackdown, action has been initiated against 76 units,” said a health ministry official.
These firms were found to be violating the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and, the sources said, in some cases, the samples of drugs being manufactured by them were found to be spurious or not-of-standard quality, leading to the government action.
The crackdown comes in the wake of two recent incidents reported from Uzbekistan and Gambia, where it was alleged medical products exported by two Indian firms to the two countries had certain contaminants that led to adverse reactions and the death of some patients.
The sources said a joint inspection was carried out in 20 states across the country by the Central Drug Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) and the state drug control administration.
“We identified 203 drug manufacturing units for potential violation of GMP. In phase-I of nationwide crackdown, action has been initiated against 76 units,” said a health ministry official.
