Antacid, Pan-D, Paracetamol among 50 medications which failed quality test
New Delhi: In a recent and concerning development, India’s drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), has flagged over fifty medications, including treatments for diabetes, high blood pressure, and bacterial infections, as not meeting quality standards. The alert issued for August designates these drugs as "Not of Standard Quality" (NSQ), raising alarms about the safety of widely used medications.
Among the drugs failing to meet quality benchmarks are some from leading pharmaceutical companies like Alkem Laboratories, Hetero Drugs, Hindustan Antibiotics Limited (HAL), and Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Notably, the list includes Glimepiride, an anti-diabetic medication; 500 mg paracetamol tablets; Telma H (Telmisartan), used for treating high blood pressure and acid reflux; and calcium supplements Shelcal C and D3.
Shelcal, a calcium supplement produced by Pure & Cure Healthcare in Uttarakhand and distributed by Torrent Pharmaceuticals, was flagged as NSQ. Similarly, Metronidazole, a commonly used antibiotic produced by HAL, failed to pass quality standards.
The scrutiny extends to Clavam 625 and Pan D, low-strength antibiotics manufactured by Alkem Health Science, which were found to be substandard by a state-run laboratory in Kolkata. The laboratory also identified Cepodem XP 50 dry suspension, a pediatric antibiotic from Hetero Drugs, as not meeting the required quality criteria.
Sun Pharma Laboratories Ltd. also came under the spotlight after its Ursocol 300, a medication used to dissolve certain gallstones, was identified as potentially spurious. Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.’s paracetamol tablets, widely used for pain and fever, were also flagged for quality issues. Additionally, multiple batches of Telmisartan, a blood pressure medication manufactured by Life Max Cancer Lab in Haridwar, failed quality control tests.
The CDSCO issued two reports highlighting these quality concerns. One report lists 48 drugs that failed to meet quality standards, while the other contains responses from the implicated pharmaceutical companies. Several manufacturers, including Sun Pharma and Glenmark, have denied producing the flagged batches, suggesting the possibility of counterfeit drugs being involved.
Sun Pharma faced further scrutiny after three of its drugs—Pulmosil (used for erectile dysfunction), Pantocid (used for acid reflux), and Ursocol 300 (used for gallstones)—failed quality checks. Glenmark’s hypertension medication Telma H (Telmisartan) and Macleods Pharma’s arthritis treatment Defcort 6 were also implicated. However, all three companies have distanced themselves from the flagged batches, again raising concerns about counterfeit drugs in circulation.
These findings were detailed in the latest non-standard quality (NSQ) alerts issued by the CDSCO. The alerts are based on random monthly tests conducted by state drug authorities as part of ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of medications in the market.
In a related move, the CDSCO has recently banned over 156 fixed-dose combinations (FDCs), citing potential risks to human health. This ban includes popular medications like Cheston Cold and Foracet, which are commonly used for treating fever, pain, and allergies. Since 2014, the regulator has banned a total of 499 FDCs, as part of its ongoing efforts to address safety concerns surrounding multi-drug formulations.
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Priyanka Gandhi takes oath as LS MP after big win from Wayanad
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took oath as a Lok Sabha MP on Thursday following her thumping victory from Kerala's Wayanad in a bypoll.
The 52-year-old, who joins her mother Sonia and brother Rahul as an MP in what is a rare instance of three members of a family together in Parliament, took affirmation in Hindi while holding a copy of the Constitution soon after the House met.
Ravindra Chavan (Cong), who won the Nanded bypoll also took oath in Marathi in the name of God. The bypoll was necessitated following the demise of his father Vasantrao Chavan recently.
Priyanka Gandhi took the plunge into active politics in 2019 and was later appointed Congress general secretary. Five years after that, Priyanka Gandhi begins her journey as an elected representative of the people.
With a winning margin of more than 4.1 lakh votes, she surpassed the tally of her brother Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad in Kerala.
Priyanka Gandhi's entry into Parliament comes at a difficult time for the party, which has been jolted by electoral defeats in Haryana and Maharashtra. It would be interesting to see if she is able to give a much-needed fillip to the grand old party and help put it back on the electoral track.
Often drawing comparisons with her grandmother Indira Gandhi for their similarity in looks and way of speaking, Priyanka Gandhi has been the go-to campaigner for the party since her entry into active politics and even before that when she campaigned for her mother Sonia and brother Rahul.
Congress leaders from Wayanad handed over the election certificate of the Wayanad parliamentary by-election to Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday and conveyed their best wishes.
Priyanka Gandhi on Saturday won the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll with a thumping margin of over four lakh votes, defeating Sathyan Mokeri of the CPI(M)-led LDF.
VIDEO | Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) takes oath as Lok Sabha MP from Kerala's #Wayanad.#ParliamentWinterSession
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 28, 2024
(Source: Third Party)
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/4JbL0KaShE
further details are awaited.
