Case lodged against illegal Medical Firms
By Bushra Makdhoom

ISLAMABAD—Taking beligerant notice, a five members panel of Ministry of Health conducted a surprise inspection of M/s. Everest Pharmaceuticals in Islamabad.
The Committee comprised of Brig. Muzammil Hassan Najmi, (Member of CL &RB), Abdul Sattar Shorani, (DDC, Reg-II-South), Muhammad Masood, (DDC, QC), Fakkuruddin Aamir, (FID, Islamabad) and Sayyad Hussain, (ADC, Reg-II-North). Mr. Sajjad Munir, Chief Executive and Mr. Sohail Akram, Production Manager of M/s. Everest Pharmaceuticals, Islamabad were also present during the inspection.
During the inspection, it was noticed that the firm is involved in illegal manufacturing of drugs / medicines for whom the permission of manufacturing was expired in December, 2006, but still were under process. These drugs include "Tandegyl Day (Levocetrizine) Tablets, E-Sam (Esomeprazole) Capsules and Sivanic (Lansoprazole) Capsules". The packaging materials being used in this illegal manufacturing were also found in the stores. The firm is also manufacturing these drugs with the same batch number as were produced in December, 2006.
The proprietor failed to produce legitimate permissions and documents in this respect and he claimed that these are rejected materials. The drugs were seized by the Federal Inspection of Drugs as provided under the law. The records were also taken into custody which contains information about the purchase of packaging material and sale of these drugs. The record reveals that M/s. Everest Pharmaceuticals, Islamabad in connivance with M/s. Saint & Sailors has been involved in manufacturing of unregistered drugs especially "Tandegyl Day" under the logo of M/s. Novartis Pharma, Jamshoro, Sindh.