Remdesivir black marketing in MP: Man arrested with 400 vials of antiviral injections

Acting on a tip-off, the police arrested Vinay Trivedi for alleged black marketing of injections labelled as remdesivir, deputy inspector general (DIG) Manish Kapooria told reporters.

At least 16 packets, carrying 25 vials each of the suspected anti-viral drug, were seized from the accused's possession, the official said.

During interrogation, the accused claimed that he had procured the injections from a company in Himachal Pradesh, but failed to produce any documents to support his claim, Kapooria said.

The accused also claimed that the injections that he had brought were part of a drug trial and were not tested so far on patients, the DIG said.

"We will get these injections tested in a laboratory, but a drug inspector, prima facie, doubted their authenticity," he said.

A criminal case has been registered and a detailed probe will be conducted to trace the source of the drug and ascertain if the accused had sold the injections locally, the official said.

Read also: Dr Reddys Baddi unit gets Drug Controller nod to produce Remdesivir for domestic use

Meanwhile, the crime branch's additional superintendent of police (ASP) Guruprasad Parashar said the police had received information that Trivedi is associated with the pharma industry and also owns a pharma unit in the neighbouring Pithampur industrial town. These facts are being verified.

The seizure and arrest have come at a time when the state is grappling with a shortage of remdesivir and reports of black marketing of the anti-viral drug are doing rounds.

Read also: Govt nod to boosting Remdesivir production to 78 lakh vials per month