The Telangana State Drug Control Administration (TSDCA) issued an alert on Wednesday concerning a counterfeit version of D-Calcium Pantothenate that has entered the market. The drug, falsely labeled as being manufactured by Xinfa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., based in Dongying, Shandong province, China, is linked to batch number 240326M07. The TSDCA suspects that criminal groups are responsible for producing this spurious drug, which poses serious health risks to consumers.
In a public notice, the TSDCA urged drug manufacturers, dealers, and distributors to immediately stop the sale, use, and distribution of the counterfeit product. They also advised stakeholders to report any instances of this fake drug to the authorities. The administration clarified that Xinfa Pharmaceutical Co. has no connection to the drug, and that the packaging lacks key legal identifiers such as the importer’s name and import license number, which are essential for all imported drugs.
TSDCA further highlighted that the counterfeit drug violates Indian regulations by failing to include a mandatory Quick Response (QR) code on its packaging. Indian law requires that all active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and bulk drugs, whether manufactured domestically or imported, must have a QR code to facilitate tracking and tracing throughout the supply chain. The absence of this code on the spurious D-Calcium Pantothenate (IP/BP), which falsely claims to be an authentic product from Xinfa, complicates efforts to monitor its origin and movement.
TSDCA Director General VB Kamalasan Reddy stressed the need for vigilance among all stakeholders, including manufacturers and distributors, to prevent the circulation of this dangerous counterfeit drug. He urged them to be on high alert and report any information regarding its sale or distribution to the appropriate authorities without delay.
Consumers and businesses that encounter this counterfeit drug are encouraged to report it by calling the TSDCA’s toll-free helpline at 1800-599-6969. The helpline is available from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM on all working days. The TSDCA’s notice serves as a crucial warning to protect public health by removing this potentially harmful drug from the market.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Ankur Deka/MSM)
