Painkillers and diabetes drugs top flagged list for poor quality in 2024

In 2024, painkillers, anti-infectives, and type-2 diabetes medications dominated the list of drugs flagged as not of standard quality (NSQ) and spurious by the Central Drug Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO). Data shows 618 drugs and formulations were declared NSQ, while 19 were identified as spurious between January and October.

Analgesic formulations like paracetamol combinations with ibuprofen, diclofenac, and mefenamic acid were frequently flagged. These drugs, widely used for fever, migraines, and muscle pain, form the seventh-largest revenue contributor in the Indian pharma market (IPM), with an annual turnover of ₹15,179 crore.

Anti-infectives, the third-largest therapy group contributing ₹25,682 crore to IPM revenues, were also regularly flagged. Drugs for type-2 diabetes and hypertension, including glimepiride and spironolactone tablets, were among the commonly flagged formulations.

Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs) like cefixime, azithromycin, and lactobacillus also failed quality tests. Meanwhile, gastrointestinal drugs, including Pan D marketed by Alkem Laboratories, were repeatedly found spurious, raising concerns about counterfeit products.

Despite alerts naming 19 specific spurious drug brands, the CDSCO refrained from identifying the manufacturers. Companies like Alkem, Sun Pharma, and Glenmark have denied culpability, claiming flagged batches were counterfeit versions, not produced by them.

The CDSCO’s alerts underscore the urgent need for robust testing and stringent measures to curb the distribution of substandard and spurious drugs in India.

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