The Odisha government has unearthed a large stock of spurious Favipiravir tablets that had been purchased by Cuttack-based pharmaceutical firm.
The government had received a tip-off from the Food and Drug Administration, Maharashtra that spurious Favipiravir tablets (Favimax-400), allegedly manufactured by one Max Relief Health Care, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, had allegedly been purchased by a Cuttack-based pharmaceutical wholesaler.
It was also stated that Max Relief Health Care, Solan was reportedly a non-existent drug manufacturer. A raid was recently conducted on the premises of Medilloyd Medicament Private Limited, Cuttack, which had purchased the drug.
“We will take stern action against people handling both spurious and substandard drugs. After getting information about spurious drugs, we conducted a raid on a particular shop where we had found 170 boxes of Fabipiravir. One box contained 100 tablets. We have instructed all drugs administrations to conduct raids across all districts,” said Odisha Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishor Das.
According to Health and Family Welfare Department, during the raid, it was noted that the firm had purchased 58,000 tablets of ‘Favimax-400’ from one Max Relief Health Care, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. Out of which, the firm had supplied 40,600 tablets to Shri Mahadev Medicals and Surgicals, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
“Out of the available stock of 17,400 tablets, 400 tablets were drawn for statutory testing and the balance 17,000 tablets were seized under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules,” said the Department.
The government had provided details of ‘Favimax-400’ tablets supplied to Gwalior to the Food and Drug Administration, Madhya Pradesh. It was also found that nine other drugs, allegedly manufactured by the same Max Relief Health Care, Solan, Himachal Pradesh had also been purchased by the firm.
All district drugs inspectors in Odisha have been alerted as nine drugs were found to have been supplied to different districts.
