Hyderabad: In a joint effort, the Telangana Drugs Control Administration (DCA) and the Prohibition and Excise Department uncovered a warehouse owned by Aspen Biopharma. This warehouse was found to be storing illegally manufactured bulk drugs containing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) in Muduchintalpally, Medchal-Malkajgiri district.
During the raid, officials seized various drugs including those used for treating cancer, viral infections, fungal infections, blood clots, and depression. The total value of these seized drugs is estimated to be Rs 96 lakhs.
The DCA identified Kadari Sateesh Reddy of Aspen Biopharma as the main person behind this illegal operation. Reddy has a history of similar offenses and is also the prime suspect in a case involving fake anti-cancer drugs discovered in Machabollaram in December 2023.
V B Kamalasan Reddy, Director General of the DCA, stated that Sateesh Reddy is also a key figure in the illegal production of APIs at Annarugudem village in Tallada mandal, Khammam district, which was discovered in the same month.
Officials reported that the bulk drugs and APIs in the warehouse were stored in LDPE bags with only the name of the bulk drug or code names. There were no batch or manufacturer details, indicating that the APIs were produced without proper licensing. This kind of unlicensed drug production is dangerous to public health as it does not follow ‘Good Manufacturing Practices’ (GMP). According to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, drugs must be produced in ISO-8 clean rooms and follow GMP guidelines.
