BHUBANESWAR: Around 40,600 tablets of spurious Covid drug, Favipiravir, were transported from Odisha to Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, after these were brought from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, to Cuttack, authorities said here on Saturday.
Quoting preliminary findings, state drugs controller A S Das said Cuttack-based dealer M/s Medilloyd Medicament Private Limited bought the spurious medicine from one M/s Max Relief Health Care.
The 40,600 tablets were supplied to M/s Shri Mahadev Medicals and Surgicals, Gwalior.
“A consignment of 17,000 tablets were seized from the firm in Cuttack.
However, no spurious medicine of the particular consignment has been used on any patient in the state,” Das told TOI.
Value of the seized consignment would have fetched Rs 69 lakh if sold in the market illegally.
The spurious Favipiravir tablets (brand name Favimax-400), was allegedly manufactured by M/s Max Relief Health Care, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, a non-existing manufacturer.
“While on the medicine it was mentioned that it has been manufactured by the firm in Solan, no such manufacturer exists there.
The dealer is being quizzed further,” Das said.
Though direct shipping of the product from Noida to Gwalior would have meant a far shorter distance, why it was routed via Cuttack is being probed.
Also, inquiry is on to find out if Cuttack was a transit point to other locations as well.
Additional chief secretary (health) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra said dumping of such large quantities of the spurious drug in Odisha is surprising because the state has enough stock of medicines procured from authorised agencies.
Odisha has enough stock of around 22 lakh tablets of Favipiravir while the daily consumption is around 3,000 to 4000 tablets.
“Since most of the patients who need it are getting it free of cost from the government, there is no demand in the market.
Investigations will reveal why it was still shipped to Odisha,” he said.
The state directorate of drugs control also found that nine other drugs allegedly manufactured by the same non-existent manufacturer of Himachal Pradesh was bought by the Cuttack firm.
Since these nine drugs were found to have been supplied to different districts, raids were held in Balangir, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Rourkela and Bhubaneswar.
A government statement said the raid was conducted based on a tip-off from food & drugs administration, Maharashtra.
After completion of the investigation, prosecution cases will be launched in the specially-designated courts under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the statement said.