HYDERABAD, FEBRUARY 18, 2024: Officials of Telangana Drugs Control Administration raided an unlicensed godown in Uppal, Medchal-Malkajgiri District and seized a huge quantity of medicines worth 3.50 lakhs.
In an another operation, DCA officials seized ‘Vitency Capsules’ at Pet Basheerabad, Quthbullapur, which were falsely manufactured and sold under the guise of ‘food products/nutraceuticals’.
DCA Director-General VB Kamalasan Reddy said that following the intelligence gathered, the officials raided the godown near Nagole, Uppal Mandal, Medchal Malkajgiri District on Saturday and found one Salla Santosh operating the godown without a drug license and engaging in the illegal sale of medicines. The officials found several cardboard shipper cartons in the godown containing a substantial quantity of medicines. Eight varieties of medicines, including higher-generation antibiotics, pediatric syrups, anti-ulcer drugs, multivitamins, and multi-mineral medicines, etc., were detected.
The officers seized the stocks of medicines during the raid, with a total worth of Rs. 3.50 lakhs. Samples were lifted for analysis. Dr. V. Balanaganjan, Assistant Director, Shameerpet, B. Lakshminarayana, Drugs Inspector, Uppal and B. Praveen, Drugs Inspector, Shameerpet are among the officers who carried out the raid. Further investigation will be conducted, and appropriate action will be taken as per the law against all the offenders.
In an another operation, the DCA officilas raided premises of Sri Bluten Pharmacy, Pet Basheerabad, Quthbullapur, on Saturday and detected the product ‘Vitency Capsules’, which was falsely manufactured under a ‘food licence (FSSAI licence)’ and falsely claimed as a food product/nutraceutical.
The capsules were found to be manufactured at Knox Life Sciences, Village Gullarwala, Sai Road, Baddi, District Solan, Himachal Pradesh and were being illegally marketed by Axenic Healthcare, Malakpet, Hyderabad, as a food product/nutraceutical. The product ‘Vitency Capsules’ claims on the label that it contains vitamins in quantities falling within the therapeutic dose range. Therefore, according to Schedule-V of Drugs Rules, the product is considered a ‘drug’ used to treat vitamin deficiencies as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
The product ‘Vitency Capsules’ must be manufactured only under a ‘drug license’ issued under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, adhering strictly to the ‘Good Manufacturing Practices’ (GMP) outlined in Schedule-M of the Drugs Rules. Additionally, it must meet the quality standards prescribed in the ‘Schedule-V of Drugs Rules and the ‘Indian Pharmacopoeia’ (IP) as mandated.
During the raid at Sri Bluten Pharmacy, Pet Basheerabad, Quthbullapur, DCA officers seized ‘Vitency Capsules’, Quantity: 30 capsules, B. No. PF-2743, bearing food licence / FSSAI Licence No. 10921999000015, Manufactured by: Knox Life Sciences, Village Gullarwala, Sai Road, Baddi, District Solan, Himachal Pradesh and Marketed by: Axenic Healthcare, Malakpet, Hyderabad. Samples were lifted for analysis. M. Vijay Gopal, Assistant Director, Quthbullapur, E. Thirupathi, Drugs Inspector, Quthbullapur and K. Murali Krishna, Drugs Inspector, Malkajgiri are among the officers who carried out the raid.
Similar cases of ‘drugs’ being manufactured under a ‘food license’ were previously detected by the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana, in November 2023 and January 2024, which were declared as ‘spurious’ by the Drugs Control Laboratory, Hyderabad, as the content of the active ingredient was found to be ‘NIL’ (i.e., zero drug) in the said products.
