Drug manufactures from tax holiday states continue to have a major share in the list of not-of-standard-quality drugs samples released by Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration for the month of February 2010. Among the total of 39 not-of-standard quality drugs found during the inspections and subsequent testing, 20 were from manufacturing firms in Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal.

According to the data released by the Maharashtra FDA, five sub-standard drug samples were found from Gujarat, two from Uttar Pradesh, four from Madhya Pradesh, one sample from Chinese firm and eight each from Maharashtra and Uttaranchal in the testing. Himachal Pradesh accounted for 12 not-of-standard quality drug samples.

Among the list were Apolo Surgical in Ahmedabad for the sample of Apolo Super Infusion not complying with IS: 12655 (Part 4) : 2003, ISO 1836:1998 specification for 'Infusion equipment for medical use 'with respect to labelling as given in the protocol. A sample of Lactulose solution USP/Biolac syrup from GSK Pharma in Roorkee, Uttaranchal was found not-of-standard quality. Sanjivani Pareneral from Maharashtra was listed for three not-of-standard quality drugs. One sample from Endolabs Healthcare in Uttaranchal and two samples from Endolabs Ltd in Madhya Pradesh were not-of-standard quality drug samples. Preet Remedies in Himachal Pradesh, Om Biomedic in Uttaranchal, Francis Biotech from Uttar Pradesh and Lycon Healthcare from Uttaranchal were listed for two not-of-standard quality drug samples each.

Apart from these, other pharmaceutical companies whose drugs have found to be sub-standard include names like Chinese firm Hebei Yuxing; Alicon Pharmaceutical, Ascent Remedies, Bharat Perenterals and Modi Antibiotics of Gujarat; Affy Pharma, Cosmos Pharma, Innova Captab, Noel Pharma, Polo Pharma, Quixotic Healthcare, Radoco Remedies, Saar Biotech, Simour Remedies, Srishti Biotech of Himachal Pradesh; Rajasthan Drugs & Pharmaceuticals and S G Laboratories of Madhya Pradesh; Acichem Laboratories, Astrum Healthcare, Circon Drugs & Pharmaceuticals, M B Industries and Macleods Pharma of Maharashtra; and Pro Laboratories and Rusi Pharma of Uttaranchal.

The state FDA routinely picks up random samples of drugs from chemists and druggists and send them for testing.