HYDERABAD, FEBRUARY 20, 2024: Officials of Telangana Drugs Control Administration seized drugs worth Rs 5.50 lakhs which were illegally manufactured by Aspen Biopharma Labs Pvt. Ltd., Shameerpet. The firm manufactured APIs during the ‘Stop Production Order’ period.
DCA Director-General VB Kamalasan Reddy said the officials of Shameerpet Zone conducted a raid at Aspen Biopharma Labs Pvt. Ltd., located at Biotech Park, Plot No. 10, Phase-II, Lalgadi-Malakpet Village, Shameerpet Mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri District on Monday, which belongs to Kadari Sateesh Reddy, the prime accused in the Spurious Anti-cancer drugs case detected at Machabollaram in December 2023, and also the key conspirator in the illicit manufacturing of APIs at Annarugudem Village, Tallada Mandal, Khammam District, also detected in December 2023.
During the raid, DCA officials seized two bulk drugs: ‘Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride’ Quantity: 110 Kgs and ‘Gatifloxacin Hydrochloride’ Quantity: 8.4 Kgs, for manufacturing them during the ‘Stop Production Order’ period. Aspen Biopharma Labs Pvt. Ltd. was issued a Stop Production Order in March-2023 by the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana due to various non-conformities with respect to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and other provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, as reported during inspection. The firm was not permitted to carry out any manufacturing activity regarding drugs thereafter. However, Aspen Biopharma illegally manufactured the drugs ‘Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride’ and ‘Gatifloxacin Hydrochloride’ during the Stop Production Order period. The total worth of drugs seized during the raid was 5.50 lakhs.
Dr V Balanaganjan, Assistant Director, Shameerpet, B Praveen, Drugs Inspector, Shameerpet, and Dr B. Lakshmi Narayana, Drugs Inspector, Uppal, 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. Manufacturing of drugs during the ‘Stop Production Order’ period is punishable under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act with imprisonment for up to five years.
Quack’s clinic raided in Warangal
On credible information, the DCA raided the premises of a quack Madhavaraju Birudaraju, at East Fort, Khila Warangal Village, Warangal District, who was claiming himself as a ‘Rural Medical Practitioner’ and practicing medicine without proper qualification at his clinic. During the raid, DCA officials detected huge stocks of medicines found stocked at the premises without any drug license. About 48 varieties of medicines, including antibiotics, analgesics, cough syrups, anti-ulcer drugs, antihypertensives, IV fluids, etc., were found stocked at the premises. DCA officials seized the stock, worth a total of Rs. 52,000 during the raid. Dr G. Rajyalakshmi, Assistant Director, Warangal, M. Aravind Kumar, Drugs Inspector, Warangal and J. Kiran Kumar, Drugs Inspector, Hanumakonda are among the officers who carried out the raid.
The public may report any complaints regarding illegal activities concerning medicines through the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana Toll-Free Number 1800-599-6969, which is operational from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm on all working days.
