FDA Bars Generic Drugs From Indian Company
Sept. 17 -- TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- More than 30 generic drugs made by Indian drug maker Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. are being denied entry into the United States due to quality concerns at two of the company's factories, the U.S Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday.
Ranbaxy is one of the world's largest producers of generic drugs. The FDA's Import Alert involves drugs such as the cholesterol-lowering drugs simvastatin and pravastatin and the antibiotic clarithromycin. Also on the list are HIV drugs lamivudine and zidovudine, as well as the diabetes drug metformin. The company also makes penicillin.
"FDA is taking this proactive step to ensure that drugs from these two facilities are not allowed into the United States until they meet FDA requirements for quality drug manufacture," Dr. Douglas Throckmorton, deputy director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said during an afternoon teleconference Tuesday.
"To date, we have seen no evidence of harm to consumers from drugs produced at these two facilities and have no reason to believe that drugs already in the United States from these plans pose a safety problem," Throckmorton said.
He noted that U.S. shortages of these drugs are unlikely, as other manufacturers will be able to meet consumer demand.
However, Ranbaxy is the sole U.S. supplier of the antiviral ganciclovir capsules. To avoid a shortage of this drug, the FDA will not hold up shipments but will provide stepped-up oversight until the company fixes its problems, Throckmorton said.
"Based on what we know today, consumers who use products affected by this import alert should not discontinue their drug therapy, as such action could seriously jeopardize their health," Throckmorton said.
According to the agency, the two affected plants are the ones in Dewas and Paonta Sahib, India. The problems in these plants relate to deficiencies in the manufacturing process, the FDA said.
On Tuesday, the FDA told Ranbaxy that until it resolves these problems in its plants and complies with U.S, requirements, the agency will recommend denying approval of any new drug applications that list these plants as the manufacturer.
