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Pfizer depot suspended after Bengaluru fake drug bust; 16 licences cancelled
An investigation found that low-cost medications were allegedly refilled into new vials and mislabelled to imitate expensive, life-saving brands from multinational corporations, specifically targeting imported Pfizer products.
Karnataka FSDA has cancelled 16 pharmaceutical licences and suspended eight others (Representative image).
Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) has cancelled the licences of 16 retail and wholesale pharmaceutical firms across Bengaluru and suspended those of eight others, including global pharma major Pfizer’s depot, for their alleged role in selling or supplying spurious products, Health Minister U T Khader said Sunday.
The action follows the FSDA’s raids at farmhouses in the Bidadi and Dodderi areas of Bengaluru South district on August 18. It seized suspected counterfeit medicines worth around Rs 5 crore, along with fake bills, injection-filling equipment and counterfeit labels. Later, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to probe the wider racket.
Health Minister Khader told the media that the licences of suspicious firms and pharmacies had been cancelled, while those of a few others were suspended for not cooperating with the SIT’s investigation. “We have stopped Pfizer’s sale in the state because they did not cooperate with the investigation,” Khader said.
In a statement to The Indian Express, Pfizer India said it has been working with the authorities in the last month since the matter of counterfeit medicines was brought to its attention.
“Since then, we have taken several actions to support the investigation, including removing, from the market, Pfizer batches (where batch numbers were copied by counterfeit) to avoid confusion, supporting to differentiate between original and counterfeit product, and providing technical and other relevant information related to the affected batches,” it said.
“We continue working closely with the authorities to resolve the open queries. Our focus remains on protecting patients, safeguarding public health and maintaining confidence in the healthcare system.”
According to the FSDA, preliminary investigations revealed that the farmhouse premises were being used to procure low-cost medications from neighbouring states. These cheaper drugs were allegedly refilled into new vials and relabelled to counterfeit expensive life-saving brands of multinational corporations, specifically imitating imported products under the brand name ‘Pfizer’.
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To deceive buyers and maximise illicit profits, the counterfeit labels featured QR/scanning codes that the FSDA found completely non-functional upon verification. These counterfeit drugs lack active medicinal ingredients and may contain harmful substances, posing a serious threat to public health, the agency noted.
The FSDA said it has blocked batch numbers linked to the seized drugs on its portal to prevent further sale or distribution, and has sent samples from the seizure to government laboratories for chemical testing to verify composition, sterility, and potency.
The FSDA has urged citizens and patients to purchase life-saving medications only from licensed pharmacies and to insist on valid tax invoices for every purchase. The department has also asked the public to immediately report any suspicious packaging variations or non-functional QR codes on drug labels to drug enforcement authorities.
Firms whose licences were cancelled
Avesco Healthcare
Bangalore Speciality Pharma
Patel Medi Trade
Rajarajeshwari Pharma
Surya Speciality Pharma
SWS Pharma
Krupa Healthcare
St Philomena Hospital Drug Centre
Sagar Pharma
Zymus Pharma
Fortune Medical Solutions
Excelcare Pharma
Patel Medicals
Bangalore Speciality Pharma outlet at Chamarajpet in Bengaluru
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Firms whose licences were suspended pending further inquiry
Med Pharma
Surya Speciality Hospital
Sagar Pharma (Unit-II)
Vivantha Pharmaceuticals
Maruthi Medicals
Viva Pharma (Belagavi)
Hi-5 Pharma
Pfizer
Seized materials
– 5,640 vials of counterfeit Cefiavigent 2.5 injection, falsely branded under Eucratia Healthcare Pvt Ltd, valued at over Rs 3.38 crore, the single largest component of the haul.
– 1,531 vials of Hizlam injectables, falsely attributed to Welcure Remedies (Rs 52.24 lakh).
– 264 vials of Emblaveo, counterfeiting Pfizer (Rs 20.59 lakh).
– 30 boxes of expired medications, valued at Rs 35 lakh, which officials say were apparently being prepared for reintroduction into the market.
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– Several other counterfeit injectable batches, including Xavitaz, Zavicefta, Tigynt, Tigvnet, Aztreo, and Trezam, along with packaging components, an injection-filling machine, and bulk quantities of forged labels and stamps.
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