HYDERABAD, APRIL 09, 2024: Officials of Drugs Control Administration, Telangana detected the manufacturing of medicines under the guise of ‘food products/nutraceuticals’ at Chengicherla Village, Medipally Mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri District.
The medicine ‘Ferrous Ascorbate, Folic Acid & Zinc Tablets’ is being falsely manufactured under a food license with the brand name ‘Ferrous-XT Tablets’ at Maxtra Laboratories and is being illegally sold to medical shops. Stocks worth Rs. 5.5 lakhs were seized during the raid.
In a separate event, Drugs Control Administration, Telangana raided an unlicensed premises at Petlaburj, Hyderabad, which was operating illegally without a drug license. During the raid, DCA seized a substantial quantity of ‘Steroid medicines’ from the premises. Stocks worth Rs. 1.17 lakhs were seized during the raid.
In another incident, the officials seized overpriced and misbranded antibiotic ointment ‘MUPITRUSS 5gm’ (Mupirocin Ointment 2% w/w) at Hanumakonda – The MRP indicated is very high compared to the Ceiling Price fixed for the product by the Central Government.
According to DCA Director General VB Kamalasan Reddy, based on gathered intelligence, officials raided the premises of Maxtra Laboratories located Ranga Rangaiah Nagar Colony, Chengicherla Village, Medipally Mandal, Medchal-Malkagiri District on Monday. The company was found manufacturing medicines under a food license/FSSAI license and illegally selling them as food products/nutraceuticals. During the raid, DCA officials found that the firm illegally manufactured and sold Ferrous-XT (Ferrous Ascorbate, Folic Acid & Zinc Tablets) under a ‘food license (FSSAI license)’, falsely claiming it as a food product/nutraceutical.
The DCA officials seized the product Ferrous-XT (Ferrous Ascorbate, Folic Acid & Zinc Tablets) with Batch No. FSX.9045, Mfg. Date April-2024, Exp. Date November-2025, manufactured by Maxtra Laboratories and marketed by Max Biomedics Pharma. The seizure included a quantity of 20,300 tablets, 900 grams of printed aluminum foil rolls, and 100 units of secondary packing cartons from K. Kumar Swamy, the proprietor of Maxtra Laboratories, during the raid. The total worth of the seized stocks is Rs. 5.5 lakhs. G. Indira Priyadarshini, Drugs Inspector, Medipally and B. Lakshminarayana, Drugs Inspector, Uppal are among the officers who carried out the raid.
In another incident, the officials raided an unlicensed premises located Gulabsingh Lane, Petlaburj, Hyderabad, which belongs to M. Mallikarjuna on 8th April, 2024. During the raid, DCA officers detected unauthorized stocking of huge quantity of steroid medicines for sale. Around 32 varieties of steroid medicines, including androgen and anabolic steroids, were found stocked for sale at the premises, indicating the potential abuse of steroid medicines. DCA officials seized the stock of total worth Rs. 1.17 lakhs during the raid. T. Rajamouli, Assistant Director, Hyderabad, B. Lakshmi, Drugs Inspector, Charminar and V. Ajay, Drugs Inspector, Goshamahal, are among the officers who carried out the raid.
Overpriced medicines seized
The DCA officials also seized ‘MUPITRUSS 5gm’ (Mupirocin Ointment 2% w/w) on 8th April, 2024 at Hanumakonda. The product Mupirocin Ointment 2% w/w sold under brand name ‘MUPITRUSS 5gm’ is under price control as per Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 and the price of product shall be in accordance with the ‘Ceiling Price’ fixed by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Government of India. The product ‘MUPITRUSS 5gm’ has not been labeled in the prescribed manner and is considered a ‘misbranded’ drug.
The product ‘MUPITRUSS 5gm’bears MRP as Rs. 165/- for 5 gm pack on the label of the product which is a violation of Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. The Ceiling price fixed by the Central Government including Wholesale Price Index for the product “Mupirocin Ointment 2% w/w” is Rs. 20.29 per 1 gm i.e. Rs. 101.45 per 5 gm (Ceiling Price). Hence Maximum Retail Price (MRP) i.e. including GST 12 % should not be more than Rs. 113.6 per 5 gm tube (MRP=Ceiling Price+GST)
The firm overpriced the product. Firm charged excess of Rs. 51.38/- per 5 gm tube, which is a violation of Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. Dr. G. Rajyalakshmi, Assistant Director, Warangal, Kiran Kumar Jannu, Drugs Inspector, Hanumakonda and M. Aravind Kumar, Drugs Inspector, Warangal are among the officers who carried out the raid.
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