Kullu: As many as 71 samples of drugs manufactured in Himachal Pradesh were found to be of ‘not standard quality’ in the latest drug alert issued by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).According to the CDSCO alert for Jan, a total of 215 samples from India were found to be of sub-standard quality, of which 71, or 33.02%, were manufactured in Himachal Pradesh. The drug samples were manufactured mainly in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industrial area in Solan district, and the Kala Amb and Paonta Sahib areas of Sirmaur district.The drug samples flagged by CDSCO are used for treating ailments like acute low blood calcium, skin infections, indigestion, heartburn, peptic ulcers, severe allergic reactions, respiratory tract infections, and high blood pressure.The sub-standard drug samples also include cough syrups manufactured by pharmaceutical companies including Baddi-based Ultra Drugs Formulations Pvt Ltd, Rumy Pharmaceuticals, Galpha Laboratories Ltd, Innova Captab Ltd, Kala Amb-based Sidhi Vinayak Industries, and a local anaesthetic (Lignocaine and Adrenaline injection) manufactured by Health Biotech Ltd, Baddi.In the alert, the CDSCO also declared three drug samples spurious — Ofloxacin and Ornidazole tablets, used for treating bacterial and protozoal infections; Azithromycin, an antibiotic used for treating skin and tissue infections; and Trypsin-Chymotrypsin tablets, which are used for reducing pain and swelling.CDSCO withheld the names of the manufacturers as investigations into the origin of the samples are still ongoing, and the pharma companies concerned denied producing these drugs.According to the state drugs control administration, notices would be issued to all manufacturers whose samples failed.In Dec 2025, of a total of 164 samples, 50 samples of drugs manufactured in Himachal Pradesh, or 30.5% of the total samples, were declared to be of sub-standard quality by CDSCO.In November 2025, a total of 49 samples of drugs manufactured in Himachal Pradesh failed the CDSCO-run quality test.Himachal Pradesh, which has a total of 664 pharmaceutical manufacturers, 177 cosmetics units, and 29 companies that produce medical devices, accounts for around 35% of the total drug production of the country annually. MSID:: 128749329 413 |
