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Karnataka Fake Drug Scandal: FDA Revokes 16 Pharmacy Licenses, Pfizer Issues Statement
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CNBC TV18•23-09-2026, 08:35
Karnataka Fake Drug Scandal: FDA Revokes 16 Pharmacy Licenses, Pfizer Issues Statement
- •The Karnataka FDA revoked licenses of 16 pharmacies and suspended 8 others following an investigation into counterfeit pharmaceuticals linked to a criminal operation in Bidadi.
- •Authorities confiscated counterfeit medications, packaging, and manufacturing equipment valued at approximately ’5.05 crore from a farmhouse in Kurubarakeranahalli, Bidadi.
- •The facility was unlawfully repackaging and relabeling inexpensive medications from other states as high-cost therapeutic drugs, including those with fraudulent Pfizer markings.
- •Pfizer stated its commitment to patient safety, confirming collaboration with authorities, removing affected batches, and providing technical information to differentiate genuine from counterfeit products.
- •The FDA has initiated criminal proceedings under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, designating the products as counterfeit and suspending Pfizer's C&F Distribution Centre license.
Key Questions Answered
The Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration revoked the operating licenses of 16 retail and wholesale establishments and placed eight others under suspension following an investigation into a counterfeit pharmaceutical ring.
The operation was uncovered after an August 18 search by the FDA's Drug Enforcement Division at a farmhouse in Kurubarakeranahalli, Bidadi, where officials confiscated counterfeit medications, packaging materials, and equipment valued at around ₹5.05 crore.
Pfizer stated that patient safety and product quality remain its highest priorities, and it has worked with authorities over the past month to support the investigation by removing copied batches from the market and providing technical information.
