DCA seizes misleading medicines

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Drug Control Administration (DCA) raided a store at Musheerabad and seized huge quantities of medicines falsely being marketed and sold as ‘food product/nutraceutical’.

According to DCA, the officials found the product Foron-XT Tablets (Ferrous Ascorbate, Folic Acid Tablets & Zinc Sulphate Tablets) was manufactured by Maxtra Laboratories, Rangarangaiah Nagar, Chengicherla Village, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, Telangana and marketed by Zyve Pharmaceuticals, Ashok Nagar, Khairtabad, Hyderabad.

DCA Director General V B Kamalasan Reddy said that the product was falsely manufactured under a ‘food license (FSSAI license)’ and falsely claimed to be a food product/nutraceutical. According to the label composition of the product, it is classified as a drug under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, DG Drug Control Administration.

The product must be manufactured only under a ‘drug licence’ 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.

In a separate raid, the DCA also seized two Ayurvedic medicines, Podapathri Powder and Stone-Go Alkalizer Syrup, for making misleading claims about treating Diabetes and Renal Stones. These claims violate the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, which prohibits such advertisements.

Podapathri Powder, manufactured by Sri Amulya Herbals, Vijayawada, while Stone-Go Alkalizer Syrup, produced by Petal Healthcare and Ample Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., was found in Beeramguda, Ameenpur(V) & (M), Sangareddy District. The Drugs and Magic Remedies Act prohibits advertisements claiming to treat certain diseases, with violations punishable by up to six months in prison, a fine, or both. Drugs Inspectors P Renuka, J Ashwin Kumar, and T Praveen Kumar led the raids. Further investigations are underway, and action will be taken against the offenders.