Panel to probe illegal Remdesivir production

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, April 19

In a bid to probe illegal manufacture of 3,000 vials of Remdesivir vaccine seized by the Chandigarh police from Baddi- based Health Biotech Limited pharmaceutical unit on Saturday, the State Drug Controller today constituted a five-member panel headed by deputy drug controller (DDC).

State Drugs Controller, Navneet Marwaha, while confirming the news, said a committee comprising DDC, assistant drugs controller and two drug inspectors will probe the issue and submit a report within seven days. They will inspect all records pertaining to the manufacture and export of this vaccine for the last about 10 months.

“Though the records are examined routinely but since violations like diversion of the vaccines meant for exports have been detected by the Chandigarh police, a thorough probe would bring out the extent of irregularities”, informed Marwaha.

Further action as per the report findings would be initiated against the unit. The unit director Gaurav Chawla is among six persons arrested by the Chandigarh police. Printed labels had been found pasted on the 3,000 vials by the unit staff in a bid to facilitate local sale of the vaccine.

The Government of India had banned export of Remdesivir on April 11 given its shortage in the domestic markets. It is a key anti- viral vaccine for severally ill hospitalised Covid patients and was much in demand due to surge in Covid cases.

Apart from this, assistant drug controllers of respective areas of Sirmaur and Baddi have also been directed to verify records of five other pharma units — two at Baddi and three in Sirmaur district, who manufacture Remdesivir for exports.

A team of Chandigarh police had arrested six persons from a hotel in Sector 17 on Saturday, where a deal was being hatched to sell these vaccines at inflated price. A representative of the said company was also present at the hotel with samples of the vaccines in violation of the norms as he had no license for its sale in the domestic markets. A case was registered against the arrested persons.

In a bid to mint profits, the said vaccines were being sold surreptitiously in the local markets through an organised network at inflated prices. This case has brought the working of this unit under a cloud and the local drug authorities were further probing the matter.

Report within seven days

• State Drugs Controller Navneet Marwaha said a committee comprising the DDC, assistant drugs controller and two drug inspectors would probe the issue and submit a report within seven days
• They would inspect all records pertaining to the manufacture and export of the vaccine for the past 10 months