Indian Medicines Come Under Increased Scrutiny: U.S. FDA

Bangalore: Pharmaceutical companies in developing countries like India are increasingly faking data about the quality of their medicines, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For safety lapses, falsified drug test results and selling fake medicines, the country is increasingly coming under scrutiny by American regulators, reports The New York Times.

The commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.), Dr Margaret A. Hamburg who recently arrived in India voiced out her increasing uneasiness about the safety procedures involved in manufacturing a medicine. This is mainly because of the "recent lapses in quality at a handful of pharmaceutical firms."


According to the report, the increased scrutiny of India’s pharmaceutical industry, that supplies 40 percent of over-the-counter and generic prescription drugs taken in the United States, could have intense inference for American consumers.

During an interview, Keshav Desiraju, India's former health secretary said, "There are some people who take a very sinister view of the FDA inspections," reports NY Times.

On the other hand, G. N. Singh, India's top drug regulator exclaimed, "If I have to follow U.S. standards in inspecting facilities supplying to the Indian market, we will have to shut almost all of those."

India's drug industry, being one of the country's most important revenue generators, exports $15 billion worth products every year. Some of its factories are world-class, nearly comparable from their counterparts in the West. Unfortunately, others undergo very severe quality control problems.

Also Read:
Revealed: World's 10 Most Admired Icons 2014
South Is India's Safest Destination For Working Women