Ramdev’s Divya Pharmacy among 16 Indian firms blacklisted in Nepal

Nepal’s drug regulatory authority has blacklisted 16 Indian pharmaceutical companies, including Divya Pharmacy which manufactures Yoga Guru Ramdev’s Patanjali products, stating that they failed to comply with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) drug manufacturing standards.

The Department of Drug Administration, in a notice issued on December 18 asked the local agents in Nepal, which have been supplying these medicines, to immediately recall them.
According to the notice issued by the Department, the medicines manufactured by the listed companies cannot be imported or distributed in Nepal.

The list of the companies that do not comply with WHO standards were published after inspection of the manufacturing facilities of the pharmaceutical companies that had applied to export their products to Nepal, according to the Department officials.

Drug inspectors came to India for inspection 

In April and July, the Department sent a team of drug inspectors to India to inspect the manufacturing facilities of pharmaceutical companies that had applied to supply their products to Nepal.

Also read: Divya Pharmacy asked to stop production of Ramdev’s 5 Patanjali medicines

Besides Divya Pharmacy, the list includes Radiant Parenterals Ltd, Mercury Laboratories Ltd, Alliance Biotech, Captab Biotec, Aglowmed Ltd, Zee Laboratories, Daffodils Pharmaceuticals, GLS Pharma, Unijules Life Science, Concept Pharmaceuticals, Shree Anand Life Sciences, IPCA laboratories, Cadila Healthcare Ltd, Dial Pharmaceuticals and Mackur laboratories.

Similarly, the Department in another notice issued on December 19 asked the distributors to recall 500 ml and 5-litre hand sanitisers manufactured by India’s Global Healthcare. The department has asked the organisations concerned not to use, sell or distribute the hand sanitiser.

Also read: Ramdev should stop using Patanjali as brand name: BJP MP

Surveillance increased after Gambia tragedy 

The surveillance of pharmaceutical companies increased in Nepal after an Indian cough syrup was reported to have caused deaths in Africa’s Ghana, according to The Kathmandu Post. “A few months ago, the department had alerted drug inspectors to step up surveillance to prevent the import and sales of cough syrups manufactured by an Indian pharmaceutical company after scores of children in Gambia died of kidney failure upon allegedly consuming the syrups,” the newspaper reported.

“The department’s move follows a global alert by the World Health Organisation about four cough syrups that could have links to the deaths of the children in July, August, and September in the West African country.”

(With Agency inputs)