The Telangana State Drug Control Administration (DCA) recently seized counterfeit drugs falsely claimed to be manufactured by Abbott India Limited. The raids were conducted at Goel Pharma in Sultan Bazaar, Koti and Yashwanth Pharma in Moosarambagh, both in Hyderabad. The seized drugs included fake versions of Vertin 8 and Vertin 16 tablets, which are used to treat symptoms of Meniere’s Disease like vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and nausea.
During the raids, a large quantity of the counterfeit drugs was confiscated. A comparison was made with the original manufacturer’s batches, confirming that the seized ‘Vertin 8’ and ‘Vertin 16’ tablets were indeed fake. In a separate raid, overpriced Itragril-200 capsules, an anti-fungal medication under price control, were seized from a medical shop in Shivunipally village, Station Ghanpur, Jangaon district.
The seized Itragril-200 capsules were being sold for Rs 289.50 for 10 capsules, while their maximum retail price (MRP) indicated on the product label was roughly Rs 29 per capsule. However, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) ceiling price for a single capsule was Rs 24.77, including GST. The DCA found that the medical shop was charging customers an excess of Rs 41.80 for 10 capsules, violating the Drugs (Price Control Order, 2013).
Furthermore, the TSDCA also discovered and confiscated medicines in the market with false claims of treating kidney stones and piles. Some of these products included Blastone Syrup by Balu Herbals, Carivent Tablets by Onika Organics, and Hadensa Ointment by Dollar Company.
