'Chalk powder and starch': Telangana warns against Meg Life drugs

The Telangana government has issued a stern warning against the usage of medicines produced by Meg Life Sciences following the discovery that three of its products – MPOD 200, MEXCLAV 625, and CEFOXIM-CV – contain "no active ingredient (medicine)."

The Drugs Control Administration of the state disclosed that these medications only consist of "chalk powder and starch," thus posing massive health hazards to consumers.

According to an official statement released on Tuesday (March 5), Meg Life Sciences, allegedly located in Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district, has been identified as a fictitious or non-existent entity by the DCA.

Strict instructions

In response to these alarming revelations, the Drugs Control Administration of Telangana has issued a Spurious Drug Alert and Stop Use Notice for all drugs claiming to be manufactured by Meg Life Sciences, according to media reports.

Healthcare practitioners have been instructed to cease the use of these medications immediately.

The claimed ingredients in MPOD 200 are Cefpodoxime Proxetil and Lactic Acid Bacillus, while MEXCLAV 625 is said to contain Amoxicillin, Potassium Clavulanate, and Lactic Acid Bacillus. CEFOXIM-CV supposedly consists of Cefpodoxime Proxetil, Potassium Clavulanate, and Lactic Acid Bacillus.

Retailers and wholesalers have been directed to halt the sale and distribution of any drugs bearing the label of 'Meg Lifesciences', and to promptly inform the area Drugs Inspector.

The public has been urged to report any information regarding the distribution or sale of such drugs through a toll-free number provided by the DCA - 1800-599-6969.

Earlier instances

This isn't the first instance of counterfeit drugs infiltrating the market. Just last week, a similar operation in Uttarakhand was dismantled by a joint effort of the Telangana DCA and Hyderabad Police, media reports said.

Counterfeit drugs containing chalk powder were being passed off as products from reputable pharmaceutical manufacturers like Cipla and GlaxoSmithKline. This led to the arrest of five individuals involved in the racket.

In another incident last month, drug officials in Maharashtra confiscated over 21,000 tablets falsely labelled as ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections, from a government hospital in Nagpur.

Valued at crores, these fake tablets had been supplied to several government hospitals.