HYDERABAD: Are some pharmaceutical companies manufacturing medicines without taking the mandatory permissions? Are medicines imported by some companies used for purposes other than those mentioned on paper? These suspicions were confirmed when the intelligence cell of Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) discovered violations during its checks in some parts of the country.
That has led to the state drug control administrations being advised to set up such cells in their respective states for taking up similar investigations. Dr Preeti Meena, director of Telangana Drugs Control Administration, said that they would follow the suggestions after receiving an official communication on it. Telangana DCA deputy director B Venkateshwarlu attended the meeting.
In the raids conducted recently, CDSCO's recently-formed intelligence cell has found that a firm in Daman manufactured Enclomiphene and Menodronic Acid capsules without CDSCO's permission. Similar violations by two companies in Sikkim have also been reported.
At a Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) meeting held in the second week of this month, drugs controller-general of India Dr S Eswara Reddy said that some state licensing authorities were issuing licences for manufacture of new drugs, which were not permitted by DCG (I), and some companies were also manufacturing new drugs without having any licence. The licensing authorities were directed not to issue such licences.
Dr Eswara Reddy said that while there was no mechanism in the past to check what happens after a drug or a chemical compound is imported into India, the central government has initiated steps for post-import checks on drugs and chemical compounds.
CDSCO's Intelligence Cell is tasked with collecting and collating information on drugs and cosmetics imported or exported in contravention of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, planning and executing intelligence activities independently or in coordination with states and other regulatory bodies like customs, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), department of revenue intelligence (DRI) and others.
"In a raid conducted by our intelligence cell in Indore, we found that a company imported a chemical compound in the category of food but not drugs. But the owner sold the compound to pharmaceutical companies. A compound, which is not tested for safety and efficacy in preparation of drugs, cannot be used. More violations of this nature can be detected if state-level intelligence cells are formed,"the DCG (I) said.