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CDSCO Flags 167 Substandard Drugs in December, 7 Spurious Medicines Found

Indian drug regulators identified 167 samples as 'Not of Standard Quality' in December 2025, with 74 flagged by central labs and 93 by state labs. Among these, seven samples from several states were classified as spurious drugs manufactured by unauthorized companies. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation publishes these findings monthly as part of routine surveillance to remove unsafe medicines from the market. This follows the previous month's report where 205 samples were found NSQ, indicating ongoing regulatory scrutiny.

Key Points: 167 Drugs Fail Quality Tests in Dec, CDSCO Finds 7 Spurious

  • 167 drug samples failed quality tests
  • 7 samples identified as spurious drugs
  • Failure is batch-specific, says CDSCO
  • Monthly list published on CDSCO portal
2 min read

CDSCO finds over 160 drug samples as 'not of standard quality' for December

CDSCO and state labs found 167 'Not of Standard Quality' drug samples in December 2025, including 7 spurious medicines. Details on regulatory action.

"This action... demonstrates an active, strong and responsive regulatory system - CDSCO Press Note"

New Delhi, January 21

Central Drugs Laboratories have identified 74 drug samples, and State Drugs Testing Laboratories have identified 93 drug samples as Not of Standard Quality for the month of December 2025, a press note said.

Identification of drug samples as NSQ is based on the failure of a drug sample in one or more of the specified quality parameters. The failure is specific to the batch of drug products tested by the Government Laboratory and does not warrant any concerns about other drug products available in the market.

Further, in December 2025, four drug samples from North Zone, Ghaziabad; one from FDA Ahmedabad; one from Bihar; and one from Maharashtra were identified as spurious drugs, manufactured by unauthorised manufacturers using a brand name owned by another company. The matter is under investigation, and action will be taken as per the Act and Rules, the press note said.

As part of routine regulatory surveillance, the list of Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) and Spurious drugs is displayed on the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) portal monthly. This action to identify NSQ and spurious medicines is taken regularly in collaboration with state regulators to ensure these drugs are identified and removed from the market. It also demonstrates an active, strong and responsive regulatory system in a country, the note read.

Earlier in November, CDSCO found 64 drug samples, and State Drugs Testing Laboratories identified 141 drug samples to be Not of Standard Quality (NSQ).

Two drug samples from North North Zone, Ghaziabad, were identified as spurious drugs in the month of November, which were manufactured by unauthorised manufacturers using a brand name owned by another company, a press note stated.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Actually, I see this as a positive sign. The system is working! They are testing, finding the bad batches, and putting the list online every month. Transparency is key. Better to find 167 NSQ samples and remove them than to have zero reports and bad medicine in the market.
S
Sarah B
As someone who relies on regular medication, this monthly public list from CDSCO is very helpful. I check it sometimes before buying. But the real action needed is against the unauthorised manufacturers in places like Ghaziabad. They are playing with lives.
A
Aman W
The press note says not to worry about other drugs, but how can we be sure? If one batch from a company fails, what's the guarantee about their other products? We need stricter penalties and frequent checks for all manufacturers, big and small.
K
Karthik V
Ghaziabad's North Zone appearing again for spurious drugs... This is a pattern that needs urgent addressing. State and central agencies must conduct a major crackdown there. Public health cannot be compromised for some people's illegal profits.
M
Meera T
While the regulatory effort is commendable, I respectfully think the communication could be better. "Not of Standard Quality" is a very bureaucratic term. For the common person, it should be clearly stated if it's ineffective, contaminated, or under-dosed. Clarity saves lives.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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