Kathmandu. The Department of Drug Administration has banned the sale and distribution of medicines produced by Curex Pharmaceuticals based in Janagal of Banepa, saying it is sub-standard.
According to the Department, pantalock (PANTALOC) brand of medicines produced by Curex Pharmaceuticals have failed the quality standards test during laboratory tests.
On May 26, the government had banned the sale and distribution of povin (Povidone iodine) drug for being substandard.
In the last five years, the industry’s medicines have been proven to be substandard 12 times. Despite serious compromises with public health time and again, industry operators have been continuing to produce substandard medicines.
According to the Department, Pantaprazole tablets were sold as Pentaprazole tablets after they failed to meet the criteria under IP 2022 during the dissolution test.
Issuing a public notice in the name of the industry on June 15, the Department has directed to submit a detailed report along with the main factor analysis report (Failure Root Cause Analysis Investigation Report) of the medicine laboratory test and failure to meet the standards along with the immediate ban as per the Drugs Act 2035 BS.
Repeated failure in quality checks, playing with public health:
The Department of Drug Administration has banned the sale and distribution of 11 medicines produced by Curex Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd in the last five years citing poor quality.
Two years ago, the sale certificate of a drug of Curex was canceled. On December 27, 2019, the Department had cancelled the sale and distribution certificate of a drug called ascorbic acid (vitamin C IP 500 grams) given to people suffering from cancer and kidney disease.
On February 1, 2018, the Department had stopped the sale of calcium and vitamin D made by Curex, saying it was not up to the prescribed standards. Curex’s medicines have been found to be of poor quality and the same medicine has failed several times.
Earlier, the Department had banned the sale of Vitamin C tablet Myvit-C produced by Curex Pharmaceuticals on February 1, 2018. The Department had banned the sale and distribution of Montelukast medicine of batch number TML produced by Curex Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd on January 1, 2017. Montelukast is used when there is difficulty in breathing.
Seven batches of Curex Pharmaceuticals Nepal’s ‘Povin’ drug were found to be substandard on February 1, 2018. The Department of Drug Administration has banned the drug on May 1, 2017, saying it was found to be substandard.
Most substandard, most contracts:
According to the department’s data, Curex Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. is one of the most returned pharmaceutical companies from the market. Despite repeatedly playing with sensitive public health, the department has not been able to stop the production of this industry.
Curex Pharmaceuticals has been involved in the supply of medicines at high prices, especially in the bids invited by the Ministry of Health and the Government of Nepal. The company has always been ‘good’ in government bids as it is cheaper to produce substandard medicines.
fiscal year 2075. In 1976, the Nepal Council of Health Research (NHCR) had found medicines produced by nine industries, including Curex Pharmaceuticals, substandard during the trial of 285 batches of various medicines being distributed free of cost by health institutions. The Government of Nepal has been distributing these medicines free of cost to the poor and underprivileged.
