Jaipur: Drug control authorities in Rajasthan have issued a statewide alert after lab tests found that Qcepod 200, a third-generation antibiotic sold across the state, contained no traces of the active ingredient cephalosporin.A sample of the drug from batch number VT 242312 was declared spurious in a test report received Friday. Officials said that without its active ingredient, the drug would be completely ineffective in treating serious bacterial infections of the brain (meningitis), lungs (pneumonia), respiratory tract, skin and urinary tract.Authorities said 3,100 strips of the batch were supplied to Rajasthan by VADSP Pharmaceutical, a firm based in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. So far, 2,186 of these strips have been seized, along with 20 sample strips and six control samples. The remaining stock is being traced.The health department directed all drug officers to withdraw the remaining strips from the market to prevent further sales.“We have talked to our counterparts in Himachal Pradesh to take immediate measures against the company which supplied the fake drugs,” Rajasthan drug controller (I), Ajay Phatak, told TOI. “We have shared with them all details related to Qcepod 200 failing quality tests,” he added.A special team of Rajasthan drug officers is slated to visit the manufacturing unit in Baddi with support from Himachal Pradesh officials. The case came to light after drug officers collected samples of the drug from the Indian Medical Agency (IMA) in Bharatpur more than a month ago. Investigators said the spurious drug was supplied by VADSP Pharmaceutical to Jaipur-based Iqumed Healthcare. During an inspection of Iqumed’s facilities, officers reported finding spurious drugs worth more than Rs 4 lakh stored for sale. They seized the stock after obtaining appropriate custody orders from the court.
