Page 2 - Drug

ED freezes over 100 mule accounts, seizes ₹70 lakh in Delhi cocaine case

The Enforcement Directorate has frozen 110 "mule" bank accounts, seized Rs 70 lakh in cash and found usage of Dubai-based cryptocurrency wallets during searches in a money laundering case linked to alleged drug trafficking in Delhi, a statement said on Sunday. Mule bank accounts are used to transfer illicit funds and are opened by misusing genuine or using fake customer IDs. The raids were undertaken on November 14 after the federal probe agency took cognisance of a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) complaint of November 2024 related to the seizure of 82.53 kg of "high-grade" cocaine. The ED covered five premises in Delhi-NCR and Jaipur during the searches. The seized party drug was estimated to be worth Rs 900 crore by the NCB and five persons were arrested by the central anti-narcotics agency. "The searches indicated an online betting and gambling network being operated through mobile-based applications. "The operation resulted in the freezing of 110 mule bank accounts, including

Novo sticks to oral semaglutide amid rising demand for injectables

Novo Nordisk will strengthen its oral semaglutide portfolio led by Rybelsus while cutting Wegovy injection prices by up to 37% to improve accessibility and expand its market in India

Novo Nordisk cuts weight-loss drug Wegovy prices by up to 37% in India

Move comes in a bid to gain more space in India's anti-obesity market dominated by Mounjaro

Public alert issued over toxic DEG impurity in cough syrup: Haryana min

Haryana Health Minister Arti Singh Rao on Saturday said the government has issued a public health alert following the detection of diethylene glycol (DEG) impurity above permissible limits in a cough syrup formulation. The alert has been issued on the basis of an official communication received from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation's (CDSCO) sub-zonal office in Guwahati by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Haryana. In an official statement, the minister informed that the cough syrup formulation -- "Planokuf D" syrup containing cetirizine hydrochloride, phenylephrine hydrochloride and dextromethorphan hydrobromide, and manufactured by Shreya Lifesciences Private Limited -- has been found to contain DEG impurity beyond permissible limits. The affected batch, bearing number R25053101, was manufactured in February and is set to expire in January 2027. The product has been declared adulterated and Not of Standard Quality (NSQ), the statement said. The minister said

Bristol Myers Squibb launches heart medication Kopozgo in Indian market

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) on Wednesday announced the launch of Kopozgo (Mavacamten), an oral, selective cardiac myosin inhibitor, in India. Kopozgo is the first and only oral, selective cardiac myosin inhibitor approved in India for the treatment of adults with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM), BMS said in a statement. Mavacamten was approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), with an import license issued on March 6, 2025. "Kopozgo is now available to patients in India. The approval of Kopozgo in India is based on positive efficacy and safety results from two Phase III clinical trials, EXPLORER-HCM and VALOR-HCM," the statement said. Sanjay Sharma, General Manager and Managing Director, BMS India, mentioned, "This breakthrough brings hope to individuals and families facing this condition, giving clinicians a novel therapy to address the unmet need in treatment. Bristol Myers Squibb is committed to advancing cardiovascular care fo

DCGI urges state drug controllers to test pharma batches before release

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has urged all drug controllers of the states and Union Territories to ensure testing of raw materials and finished formulations of pharmaceutical products before releasing them in the market in the wake of children's deaths allegedly due to the consumption of contaminated cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Five children from Madhya Pradesh are in a critical condition, while 20 have died due to kidney infections caused by the consumption of the "contaminated" cough syrup, containing Diethylene Glycol (DEG) and Ethylene Glycol (EG). Besides, at least three children have allegedly died in Rajasthan after consuming cough syrup in different districts of the state. In an advisory, the DCGI said that during recent inspections at manufacturing facilities and in the investigations of the drugs declared as 'Not of Standard Quality', it was found that several manufacturers are not testing each batch of excipients and active ingredients for

Dr Reddy's and Hetero to sell generic HIV prevention drug for $40 a year

The price tag, which will enable much broader access in low-and middle-income countries, compares with an estimated US price of around $28,000 a year for branded Yeztugo

USFDA cautions doctors on acetaminophen use in pregnancy, cites risks

The US drug regulator flagged concerns over acetaminophen use in pregnancy, citing studies linking it to autism and ADHD, while noting no proven causal relationship

Explained | Why did Trump flag India, China, Pak in global drug list? | US News

US President Donald Trump has named India, Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, and 19 other nations as major drug transit or producing countries.

Dr Reddy's launches 'Tegoprazan' in India for acid peptic diseases

Tegoprazan, a next-generation acid blocker, offers faster relief and lasting control for GERD, NERD, and gastric ulcers, addressing India's rising acid peptic disease burden

Novartis signs $5.7 bn licensing deal with Monte Rosa Therapeutics

Under the agreement, Monte Rosa will receive an upfront payment of $120 million and could earn milestone payments and royalties that lift the total value to as much as $5.7 billion

Interpol issues NCB's 'Silver Notice' against Dubai-based drug trafficker

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Thursday said it has got its first 'Silver Notice' published by Interpol, the global police body, against a Dubai-based Indian "drug trafficker" named Pawan Thakur. Thakur is wanted by the federal anti-narcotics agency in connection with a case related to the recovery of 82 kgs of cocaine from Delhi in November 2024. "The NCB, in close coordination with the Interpol, has successfully published a first Silver Notice and that is against an accused named Pawan Thakur," the agency said in a statement. Thakur is a "fugitive" and the "mastermind" behind the import, export, and trafficking of cocaine seized in last November in Delhi, it said. "He arranged for the consignment's import through an Indian port and facilitated its onward movement to Delhi by road. "His associates managed warehousing and custodianship of the contraband in Delhi, while he personally mediated among handlers to ensure smooth distribution," the NCB said. The 'Silver Notice' c

How Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk lost sheen after creating wonder drug

The pioneering Danish drugmaker was once the most valuable company in Europe, but analysts say a number of missteps reversed its fortunes

Punjab becomes first state to launch evidence-based anti-drug curriculum

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will inaugurate the programme on August 1

How Wockhardt's bet on multi-drug resistant infections is paying off

In India, Zaynich will be positioned as a third-line treatment, primarily for ICU patients when other antibiotics have failed

Ozempic to Mounjaro: India’s in a full-blown weight-loss drug war | Wegovy | Belly-fat | Health drug

India’s weight-loss game is getting serious! The country’s anti-obesity market is now worth ₹628 crore, and it’s climbing fast! Watch this video for a quick look at the top contenders

CDSCO revises export NOC guidance document for new drug formulations

The CDSCO has updated its guidelines for issuing export NOCs for new drug formulations, including relaxations for FDCs, research-oriented drug batches, and SRA approvals

May invoke MCOCA against Gutkha, Pan Masala traffickers: Minister Zirwal

Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal on Thursday said the state government is exploring whether those involved in the transportation and sale of gutkha and pan masala can be booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Banned gutkha and pan masala worth Rs 450 crore has been seized so far, while more than 10000 cases have been filed in this connection, Zirwal said. "The state government is exploring whether to book those involved in transportation and sale of gutkha and pan masala under MCOCA. A proposal will be sent to Law and Judiciary department to seek guidance on the matter," Zhirwal said in response to a question by BJP's Shrikant Bhartiya in the legislative council. Bharatiya said the manufacturing of gutkha and pan masala takes places in other states and is then transported to Maharashtra. Ambadas Danve, the leader of opposition in the council, said police and the RTOs in the border districts should be held ...

Sun Pharma launches hair loss drug Leqselvi in US after patent settlement

The delay in Sun Pharma's launch of Leqselvi in the US was caused by a patent infringement case, which was later settled in a US court with Incyte Corp

US expands militarised zones to 1/3 of southern border, stirs controversy

Orange no-entry signs posted by the US military in English and Spanish dot the New Mexico desert, where a border wall cuts past onion fields and parched ranches with tufts of tall grass growing amidst wiry brush and yucca trees. The Army has posted thousands of the warnings in New Mexico and western Texas, declaring a restricted area by authority of the commander. It's part of a major shift that has thrust the military into border enforcement with Mexico like never before. The move places long stretches of the border under the supervision of nearby military bases, empowering US troops to detain people who enter the country illegally and sidestep a law prohibiting military involvement in civilian law enforcement. It is done under the authority of the national emergency on the border declared by President Donald Trump on his first day in office. US authorities say the zones are needed to close gaps in border enforcement and help in the wider fight against human smuggling networks an