Health News

Indian Pharmaceutical Companies Lose License

Recently, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) cancelled licenses of 18 pharmaceutical companies for manufacturing and marketing poor-quality medicines. The inspection was conducted jointly by central and state governments after the quality of Indian-manufactured drugs being sold abroad came under question. Reportedly, these companies were manufacturing substandard drugs. The inspection involved 76 companies in 20 states – whose names are yet to be disclosed. 

Overall, 203 such firms have been identified – 70 from Himachal Pradesh, 45 from Uttarakhand, and 23 from Madhya Pradesh. The authorities stated the violation of good manufacturing practices (GMP) is not acceptable and poses a public health threat. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) had recently warned against two cough syrups manufactured by Noida-based Marion Biotech – which were said to cause 18 pediatric fatalities in Uzbekistan. While February was marked by a United States health authorities alert against eye drops sold by Chennai-based Global Pharma Healthcare. This eye drop caused vision loss in many patients and was also associated with a single death case.

The Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) has suggested introducing QR codes in medical products to combat the issue of counterfeit drugs. This will help in tracking these pharmaceutical products through the supply chain.