Andhra Pradesh Drug Control Administration has withdrawn most of the Fixed Dose Combinations, classified as irrational drugs as per the list of DCGI, from the market. The estimated value of these irrational drugs recalled from the market is placed at Rs 36 crore.

Drug Control Administrations and copyright director-general R P Meena told Pharmabiz that a segment of irrational drugs may remain in the market for some more time as a final decision on some of these products is yet to be taken. The total value of the recalled drugs could thus be about Rs 40 crore. The state administration is yet to decide what is to be done with recalled drugs, Meena said.

Of the 294 unapproved fixed dose combinations listed by the DCGI, as many eleven drugs were manufactured in Andhra Pradesh. They are Droxflora, Moxflora and Delcolic by the Contest Chemicals, Lactomox, Triflax, Astragel Plus, Totas Paz and Gas Paz by Biological E-Limited, Ostonat and Mofax of Natco and Metroquin-O of Noel Pharma.

The DCGI has listed the irrational FDCs cleared by the State authorities. Of the irrational combinations, as many as 90 combinations were Amoxycillin+Lactic Acid Bacillus or Amboxycillin+Coxcycillin+Lactic Acid Bacillus. They were manufactured by different companies.

Meena said he had written letters to all the pharmaceutical companies to stop manufacturing of the irrational FDCs as soon he got the orders from the DCGI. The officials in the district levels were now engaged in eliminating these drugs from the retail chemists. Stringent action would be taken against the retail chemists if sell these drugs, he said.

Meanwhile, AP government has sanctioned 25 vehicles to the officials of the Drug Control Administration at the district levels to speed up the action to eliminate irrational fixed dose combinations from the market at the retail level.