Govt backs Ranbaxy on sub-standard drugs issue

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SME Times News Bureau | 08 Jun, 2013
Backing pharma major Ranbaxy, who has been accused of marketing sub-standard medicines, the health ministry Friday said there was nothing wrong with the quality of its drugs.

"There are misconceptions about Ranbaxy producing sub-standard drugs. There was something wrong with the manufacturing process, but the quality of the drugs was fine," said Jagdish Prasad, Director General of Health Services.

"In the production of the medicines, the company may have forgotten to follow one or two steps prescribed by the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration), but that does not mean that the drugs are sub-standard," he added.

Prasad was speaking on the sidelines of a two-day event on non-communicable diseases here. He added said that no inquiry was being done by the ministry as it had not received any complaint.

New Delhi-based Ranbaxy Laboratories, India's largest drug company by sales, pleaded guilty in the US to criminal charges of making adulterated medicines and agreed to a $500 million (around Rs.2,833 crore) settlement.

Following this, a petition was moved in the Supreme Court Wednesday asking for a direction to the centre to cancel the manufacturing licences of Ranbaxy and its group companies for allegedly marketing sub-standard medicines.

The petitioner said that the allegation of Ranbaxy marketing sub-standard medicine had already been proved in the US.