Hyderabad: Officials of the Drugs Control Administration (DCA), Shameerpet zone conducted a raid at Aspen Biopharma Labs Private Ltd located at Biotech Park, Plot No. 10, Phase-II, Lalgadi-Malakpet village, Shameerpet mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri district on Monday, February 19.
The facility belongs to Kadari Sateesh Reddy, the prime accused in the spurious Anti-cancer drugs case detected at Machabollaram in December 2023, and also the key conspirator in the illicit manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) at Annarugudem village, Tallada Mandal, Khammam district, detected in December 2023, a press release informed.
During the raid, DCA officials seized two drugs in bulk quantities. ‘Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride’ at 110 kgs and ‘Gatifloxacin Hydrochloride’ at 8.4 kgs which were manufactured during the ‘Stop Production Order’ period.
Aspen Biopharma Labs was issued a Stop Production Order in March 2023 by the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana due to various non-conformities concerning Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and other provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, as reported during inspection.
The firm was not permitted to carry out any manufacturing activity regarding drugs thereafter. However, Aspen Biopharma illegally manufactured the drugs ‘Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride’ and ‘Gatifloxacin Hydrochloride’ during the Stop Production Order period, said DG DCA, V B Kamalasan Reddy.
The total worth of drugs seized during the raid was Rs 5.50 lakhs.
Further investigation will be conducted, and appropriate action will be taken as per the law against all the offenders, DCA said.
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