India protests against shipment of spurious drugs from China

Nigeria recently confiscated anti-malaria drugs with fake Made in India tag

Recently fake anti-malaria drugs with “Made-in-India” tags were detained by the Nigerian authorities, maligning the Indian pharmaceutical industry for consignments which actually originated from China.

“Taking serious note of the action by scrupulous elements to malign the Indian generic pharma industry, Embassy of India in Beijing, has been requested to lodge a strong protest with concerned Chinese authorities and also to impress upon them to take stringent action against such scrupulous elements,” a  statement issued by the Commerce Ministry said here. This latest trade-related hitch between India and China has cropped up close on the heel of row over India banning import of Chinese toys on the plea that these toys are made from toxic chemicals. But the ban was relaxed for toys with ‘safe’ certification from official testing laboratories. 

Large consignment

In regard to shipment of fake anti-malaria drugs with Made in India tags from China the Commerce Ministry said the government’s Drug Regulatory Authority (NAFDAC) has reported about the detention of a large consignment of fake anti-malarial generic pharmaceuticals labeled ‘Made in India’ but produced in China.

Laboratory analysis

“After a laboratory analysis by NAFDAC, the drugs have been found to be fake and had it not been intercepted, about 64,2000 adults would have been affected,” it said.

According to the Indian High Commissioner in Nigeria, the consignment containing Maloxine and Amalar tablets, used for the treatment of Malaria, were valued at 32.1 million Naira and were produced, packed and shipped from China. The Commerce Ministry said it had already conveyed “serious concern” to China’s Ambassador to India Zhang Yan here “with the request that strict actions be taken against the involved parties.”