Indian Drug Company Slips Up Again, Allergy Meds Recalled

It has been revealed that drug company Ranbaxy is in the midst of recalling tens-of-thousands of packets of generic anti-allergy medication. This is far from the first time the Indian drug company has fallen out of favor with the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Indian drug company Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. has reportedly been in the midst of recalling 29,790 packs of slow-release allergy relief medication and nasal decongestants in a process that began over three months ago.

Ranbaxy, which has recently been getting in frequent trouble with the FDA for numerous safety violations and manufacturing  faults, reportedly started this latest recall after quality checks discovered defects in the packaging for Loratadine and Pseudoephedrine Sulphate Extended Release Tablets, according to the Wallstreet Journal.

Back in March, Ranbaxy because one of three Indian drug companies that are temporarily banned from importing products to the U.S. market after repeatedly not meeting U.S. safety and production standards. At that time, Ranbaxy had to pay the FDA a $500 million fine after not addressing violations in production facilities related to an unusual crystallization in the liquid fill of capsules that was first noticed in 2012.

This latest production problem occurred in products produced by Ranbaxy's U.S. subsidiary Ohm Laboratories Inc. Ohm Laboratories is currently the only manufacturing facility that can supply Ranbaxy product to the U.S. market since the March FDA decision.

According to Economic Times, India Times, Sun Pharmaceutical, another Indian drug maker that has been barred from importing Indian produced drugs, agreed to buy Ranbaxy last month in a $3.2 billion deal. According to the company, they can clean up Ranbaxy's act and get their foot back in the $14 billion dollar industry -- which is approximately 40 percent of the U.S. generic imported drug market.