India’s drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO), has identified more than 50 commonly used medicines as “Not of Standard Quality (NSQ)” in its latest monthly report. The list includes essential medications like calcium and vitamin D3 supplements, anti-diabetic pills, and blood pressure treatments, raising alarms over drug safety.
Popular Drugs Fail to Meet Standards
Among the 53 drugs flagged are top-selling products like Shelcal (calcium and vitamin D3), vitamin B complex and vitamin C softgels, antiacid Pan-D, and Paracetamol 500 mg tablets. Other significant drugs include Glimepiride, used for managing diabetes, and Telmisartan, a common treatment for high blood pressure. Major pharmaceutical companies implicated in the quality failure include Hetero Drugs, Alkem Laboratories, Hindustan Antibiotics Limited (HAL), and Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
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Critical Cases
One of the major concerns is the quality failure of Metronidazole, a widely prescribed drug for stomach infections produced by HAL. Shelcal, manufactured by Pure & Cure Healthcare and distributed by Torrent Pharmaceuticals, was also among the flagged drugs. A Kolkata lab also classified antibiotics like Clavam 625 and Pan D from Alkem Health Science as spurious, along with Hetero’s Cepodem XP 50 Dry Suspension, prescribed for severe bacterial infections in children.
Manufacturers Deny Responsibility
Several manufacturers responded to the CDSCO report, denying responsibility for the substandard drugs and labeling them as spurious. Some companies claimed that the flagged batches were falsely attributed to them, and the investigation is ongoing to determine the legitimacy of these claims.
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