Rs 12 Crore Suspected Spurious Pfizer Medicines Allegedly Supplied Across Karnataka, 8 Held

The officer, Omkareshwar, has been accused of failing to ensure the closure and seizure of stock from Krupa Health Care, a wholesale pharmacy at Minerva Circle allegedly owned by Veeresh Kumar Jain, who was arrested by the SIT as an alleged key accused in the case. Khader stated that the officer should have seized the pharmacy's stock and sealed the premises following Jain's arrest and the recovery of suspected spurious medicines. However, when officials subsequently inspected the premises, the pharmacy was reportedly still operating.

The action against the officer comes as the Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FDA) has stepped up its investigation into pharmacies allegedly connected with the distribution network of suspected spurious medicines recovered during an August raid at a farmhouse near Bidadi, Bengaluru. The FDA has cancelled the licences of 16 wholesale and retail pharmacies and suspended eight other licences as part of the ongoing investigation.

The investigation has also brought hospital-based pharmacies under scrutiny. The FDA has cancelled the licence of the main pharmacy at St Philomena's Hospital in Viveknagar and a pharmacy at Sagar Hospitals in Kumaraswamy Layout. Licences of pharmacies located at Sagar Hospitals in Tilak Nagar and Surya Speciality Hospital in Bommasandra have been suspended.

According to a senior FDA official, the regulatory action followed findings by the SIT indicating that Krupa Health Care had supplied medicines to several pharmacies. Investigators reportedly traced the supplies through invoices recovered during the probe. The concerned pharmacies were asked to explain the transactions but allegedly failed to provide satisfactory explanations regarding the medicines received from Krupa Health Care.

The FDA clarified that the action against the hospital pharmacies does not cover the entire pharmacy operations of the respective hospitals. Officials noted that some hospitals operate several pharmacies located on different floors and that action was taken only against individual pharmacy outlets where investigators suspected that medicines linked to the alleged spurious drug supply had been received.

By the time FDA officials carried out the inspections, the suspected spurious drug stocks at the identified pharmacies had reportedly already been exhausted. Officials added that no adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with the suspected spurious medicines have been reported so far.

Khader stated that the government would undertake efforts to identify patients who may have received the suspected medicines so that the authorities can determine whether any patients were exposed to the products. FDA officials, meanwhile, stated that none of the suspected spurious medicines connected with the case remained in circulation in Karnataka.

As a preventive regulatory measure, the batch numbers of the suspected medicines have been frozen on the FDA's drug portal, effectively preventing their further sale or distribution within the State.

The investigation has also affected the supply of medicines manufactured by pharmaceutical major Pfizer in Karnataka. The FDA has temporarily restricted the sale and supply of Pfizer-manufactured medicines in the State, citing alleged non-cooperation during the investigation.

Pfizer's depot in Nelamangala is among the eight establishments whose drug licences have been suspended. Investigators reportedly found that the depot had allegedly received supplies from Krupa Health Care. The action forms part of the wider regulatory investigation into the suspected supply chain through which the alleged spurious medicines were distributed to pharmacies and healthcare establishments, reports The Times of India.

The SIT investigation is continuing to establish the complete supply chain, identify patients who may have received the suspected medicines and determine the role of the various pharmacies and establishments linked to the alleged racket.