The National Health and Human Services Commission issued a notice to the government to ban the circulation of counterfeit liver drug Defitalio and anti-cancer drug Adcetris

New Delhi: Drug manufacturers and suppliers are equally responsible for corruption in the health sector as the government. Recently, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India was formally informed of a media report that following an alert from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has asked state regulators, doctors and patients to be vigilant about two drugs – liver drug Defitalio and anti-cancer drug Adcetris – as falsified versions of the two drugs are circulating in four countries including India. According to reports, the falsified Adcetris injection 50mg found in four countries including India was most often found available at the patient level and distributed through unregulated supply chains, mainly online.

The Committee noted that if the content of the news reports is true, it raises serious concerns about human rights violations. Therefore, the Committee has sent a notice directly to the Minister of Health and Family Welfare and the Drug Controller General of India, asking them to submit a detailed report on the matter. The report should include the current implementation of relevant laws to check the supply and sale of fake life-saving drugs mentioned in the news reports, including Defitalio and Adcetris. A response is expected within four weeks.

The product does not have marketing authorization in India and Turkey, according to media reports on September 11, 2023. However, counterfeit versions of the liver drug Defitalio have been found in India and Turkey, which are supplied outside regulated and authorized channels.