Himachal Pharma Firm Partner Arrested for Fake Levocetirizine, Pregabalin Production
arrested
Baddi: In a major blow to the counterfeit drug network operating in the Baddi industrial zone, the Himachal Pradesh State Drugs Control Administration (DCA) has arrested Akhilesh Kumar, partner of YL Pharma, for allegedly manufacturing spurious medicines at the company's facility.
The action followed an alert from Rajasthan authorities and a surprise raid that exposed large-scale illegal production, triggering prosecution under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Drug Inspectors Suresh Chauhan and Vikas Thakur began the investigation after the Rajasthan Drugs Control Administration reported that a sample of Levocetirizine tablets (Wincet-L, Batch No. YLT25023) manufactured by YL Pharma contained zero active ingredient. Based on this analysis, the batch was officially declared spurious and not of standard quality.
State Drugs Controller Dr Manish Kapoor stated that YL Pharma had resumed operations on November 1, despite being under a “stop-manufacturing” order since March 29. A showcause notice was issued on November 3, and after the firm failed to provide a satisfactory explanation, its manufacturing licence was cancelled the same day.
During the raid, officials also recovered Pregabalin capsules (Pregabaryl-300) that were falsely labelled as being produced by a non-existent manufacturer in Sikkim, indicating deliberate misbranding. Authorities seized a substantial quantity of tablets, capsules, packaging materials and stereos, while the company could not produce essential batch manufacturing records or quality testing documents, pointing to multiple serious regulatory violations.
The DCA reiterated its zero-tolerance stance against such illegal practices and confirmed that strict legal action is being pursued, including possible seizure of the spurious products, reports The Tribune.
