Telangana Drug Control Administration (DCA) officials have seized ‘ITRAHET-200 Capsules’ (Itraconazole Capsules BP 200 mg) manufactured by Hetero Healthcare Limited for selling the medicine above the price ceiling set by the Central Government.
The authorities seized the medication stocks during a raid at a medical shop in Kagaznagar, Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district. The antifungal medicine falls under the price control regulations of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order of 2013 and has a ‘ceiling price’ determined by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Government of India.
According to the release, the product label had a maximum retail price (MRP) of ₹286 for seven capsules or ₹40.85 per capsule, breaching the pricing regulation set by NPPA. The ceiling price, including the wholesale price index (WPI), for the medicine is ₹22.12 per capsule. Consequently, the MRP, inclusive of a 12% GST, should not exceed ₹24.77 per capsule. The manufacturer is found to have overcharged ₹112.61 for seven capsules.
The seized batch, identified with Batch Number GC23880B and manufactured in October 2023 with an expiry date of September 2026, originates from Hetero Healthcare Limited, situated in AIIDC Industrial Growth Centre, Kamrup district of Assam.