Officials from the Telangana Drugs Control Administration (DCA) conducted a raid on the premises of Maxtra Laboratories situated at Medipally, Medchal-Malkajgiri district on April 8. The investigation revealed that the company was manufacturing medicines under a food licence/FSSAI licence and unlawfully marketing them as food products/nutraceuticals.
During the operation, DCA officials discovered that the company was illegally manufacturing and distributing Ferrous-XT (Ferrous Ascorbate, Folic Acid & Zinc Tablets) under the guise of a ‘food licence’ misrepresenting it as a food product/nutraceutical.
DCA authorities seized a consignment of Ferrous-XT which included 20,300 tablets, 900 grams of printed aluminium foil rolls, and 100 units of secondary packaging cartons from K. Kumar Swamy, the proprietor of Maxtra Laboratories. The total value of the confiscated items amounts to ₹ 5.5 lakh. According to DCA, the seized medicine is classified as a ‘drug’ under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. It received approval as a ‘drug’ from the Drugs Controller General, India for the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia. The product should only be manufactured under a ‘drug licence’ and must meet the quality standards prescribed in the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) without exception.