CDSCO HAS FLAGGED A GROWING NUMBER OF SUBSTANDARD AND COUNTERFEIT MEDICINES IN INDIA

CDSCO HAS FLAGGED A GROWING NUMBER OF SUBSTANDARD AND COUNTERFEIT MEDICINES IN INDIA

Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has flagged a growing number of substandard and counterfeit medicines in India, with serious findings reported for both June and July 2025.

NSQ Drugs in July 

In July 2025, drug regulators found 143 medicine samples that failed to meet quality standards  46 flagged by central laboratories and 97 by state-run labs. While these quality failures were limited to specific batches, eight samples were confirmed to be spurious, including seven from Bihar and one from the Ghaziabad region. Investigations revealed they were falsely marketed under the names of established pharmaceutical companies.

Failed critical tests,inconsistent active ingredient levels and improper dissolution rates 

For June, CDSCO identified 185 drugs as Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) and confirmed four cases of counterfeit drugs. These included well-known medications like Taxim-O 200 (an antibiotic), Rosuvas F10 and F20 (used for cholesterol management), and Thrombophob ointment. Manufacturers denied producing the implicated batches, pointing to counterfeit activity.

Drugs were marked NSQ for failing critical tests, such as active ingredient levels, weight consistency, and dissolution rates. Authorities clarified that such failures apply only to the tested batches, not the entire product line.

Tags: CDSCO, NSQ Alert, Substandard drugs