18 Pharma Companies To Lose Licenses Over Poor Quality Medicines: Sources

New Delhi: 

Licenses of 18 pharma companies have been cancelled and they have been asked to stop manufacturing. Show cause notices have also been issued to 26 pharma companies, sources in the Union Health ministry have told NDTV. The orders came as part of an ongoing crackdown on pharma companies amid reports of spurious drugs from India being sold abroad.

The Drugs Controller General of India had conducted inspection on 76 pharmaceutical companies. The surprise inspections were conducted by central and state teams and action was taken in 20 states.

The campaign has been on for about 15 days.

The raids come amid reports of deaths and illnesses from Indian drugs from several nations. Last month, Gujarat-based pharma company Zydus Lifesciences recalled more than 55,000 bottles of a generic medication used to treat gout from the US market. The medicine had failed impurities specifications