Cefixime

New Delhi: India’s drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), identified 185 drug samples as ‘ Not of Standard Quality ’ (NSQ) and flagged four others as ‘spurious’ during its monthly quality review for June. Of the total NSQ samples, 55 were flagged by Central Drugs Laboratories , while the remaining 130 were reported by State Drugs Testing Laboratories. In addition, the CDSCO drug alert identified four spurious drug samples, including a Cefixime Tablet from Bihar, an ointment of Heparin Sodium and Benzyl Nicotinate from Delhi, and two samples of Rosuvastatin and Fenofibrate Tablets — Rosuvas F 10 and Rosuvas F 20—collected from Telangana. A drug is deemed spurious if it qualifies certain conditions detailed under Section 17-B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. Of the 55 samples flagged as NSQ by central testing laboratories includes Dextrose Injection manufactured by Tam-Bran Pharmaceuticals; Azithromycin Tablet by Apple Formulations; Paracetamol Intravenous Infusion by D.J. Laboratories Telmisartan Tablets by Healers Lab and 51 other samples. The 130 samples flagged by state laboratories includes several common medicines and supplements such as Paracetamol, Pantoprazole, Calcium , Vitamin D3 tablets and several other common drugs. The identification of drug samples as NSQ is done based on failure of the drug sample in one or the other specified quality parameters and the term NSQ has been defined under Section 16(1)(a) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. However, according to the Health Ministry, “identification of drug samples as 'NSQ' does not warrant any concerns on the other drug products available in the market. The CDSCO routinely notifies ‘'NSQ ' and spurious medicines based on a monthly review undertaken by the central and state drug regulatory bodies to ensure that these drugs are removed from the market and enforce quality norms. By Abhijeet Singh ,

New Delhi: As part of its monthly review undertaken to check and enforce the quality standards in the consumer drug market, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization ( CDSCO ) has identified 56 drug samples as ‘Not of Standard Quality’ (NSQ) and 3 as ‘spurious.’ The drugs and formulations which have been classified as spurious picked by Bihar Drugs Control Authority include Pantoprazole Gastro-resistant and Domeperiodone Prolong Released Capsules IP ( PAN-D); Cefixime Tablets IP (TAXIM-O 200); and Rosuvastatin Tablets IP (Rosuvas 10). As per the CDSCO notification, each of these drugs were manufactured in 2023 and the central drugs regulator is still investigating the manufacturer of the above-mentioned spurious drugs . The list of drugs and formulations which have been identified as NSQ includes Trypsin & Chymotrypsin Tablets manufactured by Cachet Pharmaceuticals Private Limited; Diclofenac Sodium, Paracetamol & Chlorzoxazone Tablets by MODERN LABORATORIES; Liposomal Amphotericinn B Injection 50mg by UNITED BIOTECH (P) LIMITED; Ornidazole & Ofloxacin Tablets IP by Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd; Amlodipine and Perindopril Tablets by Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd.; Natamycin Ophthalmic Suspension by Primus Pharmaceuticals, among 50 others. All samples notified under the NSQ list for the month of October (released in November) were manufactured between 2022 and 2024, and CDSCO has identified the manufacturers of each of the listed products. Meanwhile, during the same period the State Drugs Testing Laboratories across the country have identified 34 Drugs Samples as Not of Standard Quality (NSQ). According to CDSCO, a drug shall be deemed spurious if it is manufactured under a name belonging to another drug; or if it is an imitation of, or a substitute for, another drug; or resembles another drug in a manner likely to deceive or bears upon its label or container the name of another drug, among other provisions defined under Section 17-B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. Whereas those drugs that fail to meet the quality standards or specifications are notified as NSQ, a term defined under Section 16(1)(a) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. By Online Bureau ,