1,680 drug samples from Baddi failed quality tests: H.P. govt

The Himachal Pradesh government has launched a probe through the local drug control office after 1,680 medicine samples failed tests in the last three years.

Detailed findings on the samples taken from units primarily from the drug manufacturing hub Baddi are expected to be presented before the Assembly in July, sources told businessline.

A written response to questions raised in the Assembly by MLAs Kewal Singh Pathania and Vipin Singh Parmar said 1,683 samples had failed quality tests till January 2024. Of these, 374 samples had failed in the last one year.

The failed samples included tablets, capsules, oral liquids, small and large volume parenteral (injections), syrups, soft gelatin capsules, and vaccines. The therapeutic segments included drugs to treat allergies, thyroid conditions, high blood pressure, and cold/cough.

As many as 38 drug controllers monitor and inspect the quality of medicines produced from the State. Besides Baddi, manufacturers are also based in Barotiwala and Nalagarh in Solan district. Samples were also collected from Sirmaur and Una.

“A probe is currently underway and samples from various manufacturing facilities in Solan are being collected. Testing is being carried out. We are hopeful that a detailed report will be tabled in the next Assembly session scheduled in July,” Pathania said.

The 120page list of companies mentioned included Abbott, Acme (that makes Abbott’s Thyronorm), Alkem, Glenmark, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Cipla. Emails were sent to the companies for a response on the State’s findings.

The list mentions Maiden Pharma — already under government scanner for selling contaminated syrups — as a company underinvestigation. It also includes companies like Kanha Biogenetic, Alventa Pharma, Admed Pharma, for example, which have been issued showcause notices and “correspondence is currently underway”.

Licences of some of the companies were suspended for a period ranging for 7 days to 4 months, said the government’s action taken report. In some cases, product permission has also been cancelled.

OLDER CASES

The list included older instances involving samples of Levolite M syrup and Orvastin tablets of Morepen Laboratories. Product permissions were suspended for five days to five months, the list said.

A Morepen Laboratories spokesperson said, “Based on the findings we had recalled batches from the market. We followed guidelines laid down by the State authority. The issue currently stands resolved.”

According to an industry insider, some of the samples mentioned in the list, across companies, are being challenged, had since been passed or were being further investigated. Some samples have been listed as “spurious” including Abbott’s ‘Phensedyl Cough Linctus’ , Glenmark’s Telma AM (blood pressure drug) tablets and Omeprazole (DelayedRelease), for example.