Also seize tablet ‘Metnuron-OD’ manufactured and sold under the guise of nutraceuticals
HYDERABAD, MAY 30, 2024: Officials of Drugs Control Administration have seized several Ayurvedic medicines for misleading advertisements and a tablet “Metnuron-OD’ falsely manufactured and sold under the guise of nutraceuticals in various parts of the state on Wednesday and Thursday.
In a statement here on Thursday, DCA Director-General VB Kamalasan Reddy said that the officials have seized Maharshi Ayurveda GLUCOMAP, an Ayurvedic medicine, claimed to treat ‘Diabetes’, Ashwagandharishta Supreme, to treat ‘Nervous debility’, Shri Tulsi Drops, claimed to treat ‘Fever’ and Isotine Eye Drops, an Ayurvedic medicine, claimed to treat ‘Disorders of the Eye’.
The DCA officials detected certain medicines circulating in the market with misleading claims on their labels, stating that they treat ‘Diabetes’, ‘Nervous debility’, ‘Fever’, and ‘Disorders of the Eye’. Such claims are in contravention of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. They seized Maharshi Ayurveda Glucomap at Maharshi Ayurveda products in Kachiguda, Ashwagandhrasista at Sharma Ayurved mandir in Saroornagar, Shri Tulasi at International Herbal Corporation at Vanasthalipuram and Isotine eye drops at Balapur in Hyderabad. Anjum Abida, Assistant Director, Rangareddy, V. Ravi Kumar, Drugs Inspector, Balapur, J. Naga Raju, Drugs Inspector, Saroornagar, L. Raju, Drugs Inspector, Hayathnagar, V. Ajay, Drugs Inspector, Amberpet, and P. Santosh, Drugs Inspector, Mehdipatnam are among the officers who carried out the raids. Further investigation shall be carried out and action shall be taken as per the law against all the offenders.
The DCA officials of Siddipet Zone have detected the product ‘Metnuron-OD Tablets’ circulating in the market. The product has been claimed to contain Calcium Carbonate 500mg, Alpha Lipoic Acid 200mg, Benfotiamine 150mg, Inositol 100mg, Chromium Picolinate 200mcg, Pyridoxine HCl 3mg, Folic Acid 1.5mg, Vitamin D3 1000IU, Methylcobalamin 1500mcg. These tablets were falsely manufactured under a ‘food license (FSSAI license)’ and falsely claimed to be a food product/nutraceutical.
The tablets were found to be illegally manufactured at Medicant Nutrients, in Haryana state and were being marketed by SiriMed (A Division of Sanus Biotech) Sanus Biotech Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad as a food product/nutraceutical. The product ‘Metnuron-OD Tablets’ 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 ‘Indian Pharmacopoeia’ (IP) as mandated. Dr J. Raju, Assistant Director, Siddipet and S. Vinay Sushmi, Drugs Inspector, Siddipet are among the officers who carried out the raid at a medical shop in Pragnapur Village, Gajwel Mandal, Siddipet District. Samples were lifted for analysis during the raids.
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.
