Hypertension, anti allergy meds among 196 drugs flagged by CDSCO as NSQ

Monthly CDSCO alert identifies 196 batches of drugs as not of standard quality and flags one Deca-Durabolin injection as spurious and under investigation

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has labelled batches of 196 drugs and formulations as not of standard quality (NSQ) in its monthly quality review for April 2025.

 

The NSQ list includes a fixed drug combination (FDC) of teneligliptin and metformin hydrochloride, which is used to treat hypertension, and antibacterials such as cefpodoxime proxetil tablets.

 

The list also includes batches of painkillers containing combinations of paracetamol with nimesulide and aceclofenac, as well as cough syrups and anti-allergy formulations.

 

Of the 196 drug samples found NSQ for April 2025, 60 were identified by central drug laboratories, while 136 were tested at state laboratories.

 

A note by the health ministry on the drugs alert stated that the failure is specific to the drug products of the tested batches and does not warrant concerns about other drug products available in the market. 

 

The country’s apex drug regulator also flagged one batch of Deca-Durabolin injections, which are used to manage post-menopausal osteoporosis and anaemia, as spurious. While the CDSCO has named the brand for which it found spurious samples, it has not named the drug manufacturer.

 

The health ministry said the spurious drug sample was identified from Bihar, adding that it was manufactured by an unauthorised entity using the brand name owned by another company.

 

“The matter is under investigation and action will be taken according to rules,” the ministry note added.

 

Spurious drugs are fake or counterfeit medicines that falsely claim to be genuine, often containing incorrect, contaminated, or no active ingredients—making them ineffective and potentially harmful to patients.

 

“The actual manufacturer (as per label claim) has informed that the impugned batch of the product has not been manufactured by them and that it is a spurious drug,” the CDSCO alert added.

 

As part of continuous regulatory surveillance, the CDSCO picks up drug samples from sales or distribution points, analyses them, and displays a list of spurious drugs on its portal on a monthly basis.

 

“This action of identifying NSQ and spurious medicines is taken on a regular basis in collaboration with state regulators to ensure that these drugs are identified and removed from the market,” the NSQ alert stated.