Drugs and drug pellets worth Rs.13 lakhs have been seized by the Andhra Pradesh Drug Control Administration (APDCA) from Zelos Healthcare Pvt Ltd and Allanthus Biotech, for unlicensed manufacture and failure to produce procurement documents respectively.
According to DCA sources, one Konala Ramesh and Mohammad Abdul Waseem, managing partners of Zelos Helahtcare were involved in illegally manufacturing drugs and drug pellets that are used in multivitamin and anti-ulcer capsules. Upon receiving a tip-off about the illegal activity, the drug inspectors kept a watch on the firms' activity and raided the premises and found that the firm is using starch/sugar pellets coated on them with vitamins (folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E), carbonyl iron, zinc sulphate, ferrous fumarate, omperazole (anti-ulcer drug) etc., to produce drugs pellets which are being sold to various dealers in Hyderabad for onward supply to various manufacturers of multi-vitamin capsules and anti-ulcer drug capsules.
Sources at the DCA office revealed that manufacturer does not possess any kind of license to produce the multi-vitamin or anti-ulcer drug capsules. The firm doesn’t even have the permission to trade these drugs either.
Drug control officials have seized drugs and drug pellets worth Rs.5 lakhs from Zelos Healthcare and have booked cases under Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, section 18(c) for manufacturing drugs without license and proper documents.
The unlicensed drugs seized from the firm include 18 kg of omeprazole drug (anti ulcer drug), 50 kg of zinc sulphate drug, 37kg carbonyl iron drug, 17kg folic acid pellets, 116kg vitamin B12 pellets, 92kg of carbonyl iron+zinc sulphate+folic acid pellets, 55kg of ferrous fumarate+zinc sulphate+vitamin B12+ folic acid pellets, 104 kg of vitamin E pellets, 98 kg of carbonyl iron pellets, 80 kg of zinc sulphate pellets, and 91 kg of sugar & starch dummy pellets.
B L Meena,dDirector general of APDCA in a statement said, “We will not spare anyone who is involved in illegal manufacturing activity without any license. Our officers are continuously on vigil and will take all necessary steps to take immediate action according to the law.”
In an another raid on a wholesale premises of Allanthus Biotech & Research Institute Ltd, the APDCA officials seized drug pellets worth Rs.8 lakhs from one Dr GVeer Raghavaiah, the managing director of the firm. The drug inspectors have seized 400 kg of caffeine pellets, 40 kg of domperidone pellets (anti-emetic) and 350 kg of pantoprazole+domperidone pellets from the firm.
DCA officials have booked cases under the Drugs and Cosmetic Act 1940 under section 18(c), 17-A and 17 for manufacturing drugs without license and proper documents, insanitary conditions and adultered drugs, and misbranded drugs respectively. All these violations are punishable under the section 27(b)(ii), 27(b)(i) and 27(d).