Rajasthan Flags Spurious Antibiotic Qcepod 200 After Tests Find No Active Ingredient
New Delhi: Rajasthan drug control authorities have issued a statewide alert after laboratory tests found that a widely sold antibiotic, Qcepod 200, contained no active ingredient, rendering it ineffective for treating serious infections such as meningitis, pneumonia, respiratory tract, skin, and urinary tract infections.
The drug sample, belonging to batch number VT 242312, was declared spurious after failing quality tests. Officials stated that the absence of the key antibiotic component, cephalosporin, means the medicine cannot provide any therapeutic benefit and poses a significant public health risk.
Authorities revealed that around 3,100 strips of the affected batch were supplied to Rajasthan by Himachal Pradesh-based VADSP Pharmaceutical. Of these, 2,186 strips have been seized along with additional sample and control strips, while efforts are ongoing to trace and recover the remaining stock from the market.
The state health department has directed all drug control officers to immediately withdraw the medicine from circulation to prevent further sale. Officials have also initiated coordination with authorities in Himachal Pradesh to take regulatory and legal action against the manufacturer.
A special team from Rajasthan is set to visit the manufacturing unit in Baddi to investigate the origin and production of the spurious batch. The probe aims to identify lapses and ensure strict enforcement of drug safety regulations.
According to a recent media report in The Times of India, the issue came to light after drug inspectors collected samples from the Indian Medical Agency in Bharatpur more than a month ago. Further investigation traced the supply chain to Jaipur-based Iqumed Healthcare, where spurious drugs worth over ₹4 lakh were found stocked for sale and subsequently seized following court orders.
Authorities have stressed that stringent action will be taken against those responsible, underlining the serious risks posed by the circulation of ineffective or counterfeit medicines.
