The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) found one spurious and 220 not of standard quality (NSQ) drug samples from a batch tested randomly as part of the August drug surveillance exercise, according to the drugs regulator’s NSQ and Spurious Drug Alert issued on Tuesday.
NSQ drugs are those that fail to meet quality standards or specifications, including those pertaining to labelling, dissolution, weight uniformity, and sterility. Besides NSQs, some quality-related defective products are also categorised as adulterated or spurious drugs, which are considered to have the potential to cause serious adverse reactions and even death.
The spurious drug was allegedly manufactured by unauthorised manufacturers using a brand name owned by another company.
“The matter is currently under investigation, and action will be taken as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules, according to the regulatory authority,” said the report. “The matter concerning the spurious drug identified in Delhi remains under investigation, and further action will be taken in accordance with the applicable Act and Rules,” added the CDSCO report.
