DCA seizes overpriced tablets

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Drugs Control Administration (DCA) officials seized ‘CYLET-2.5’ tablets (letrozole tablets IP 2.5 mg) in a raid for an overpricing issue at a firm in the city.

Letrozole tablets IP 2.5 mg sold under the brand name ‘CYLET-2.5 tablets’ are under price control as per the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, and the price of the product shall be in accordance with the ‘Ceiling Price’ fixed by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Government of India.

“CYLET-2.5 tablets manufactured by Stepan Life Sciences Pvt Ltd, Gurugram, Haryana, and marketed by Cynak Life Sciences (a division of Cynak Healthcare), Sonipat, Haryana, bear the MRP of Rs 199 for five tablets on the label of the product, which is a violation of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, said,” V B Kamalasan Reddy, DG DCA.

The ceiling price fixed by the Central government, including the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for the product “Letrozole tablets IP 2.5 mg” is Rs 29.32 per tablet (the ceiling price).

Hence, the Maximum Price (MRP), i.e, including GST 12 per cent should not be more than Rs 32.84 per tablet, i.e, Rs 164.2 per strip of five tablets (MRP=Ceiling Price + GST) but the firm overpriced and charged excess of Rs 34.80 per strip of five tablets which is a violation of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013.

In another raid conducted on Saturday, DCA caught Ovoid Pharmachem Pvt Ltd for selling unauthorised drugs with a forged licence and confiscated stocks worth Rs 23.93 lakh, including 800 kgs of activated charcoal 250 mg and simethicone 80 mg pellets.

DCA officials discovered Ovoid Pharmachem Pvt Ltd, located in Jeedimetla, was involved in forging a drug manufacturing license. According to DCA, Narasapally Ramudu, director of Ovoid Pharmachem Pvt Ltd, was involved in creating a forged drug manufacturing licence for certain drug products not authorised for the company by the Telangana Drugs Control Administration. Verification of the DCA, Telangana licencing database on the Online Drug Licencing System (ODLS) portal confirmed that Ovoid Pharmachem Pvt Ltd created a fake drug licence for certain drug products.

The DCA also found that the firm manufactured and sold certain drug products under this fraudulent license. A complaint was registered with the Jeedimetla police station under Sections 420 (cheating) and 468 (forgery) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).