Fake paralysis drugs bust in Karimnagar sparks state-wide pharma safety concerns
Hyderabad: A counterfeit drugs racket has surfaced in Karimnagar, exposing a dangerous network distributing fake Levipil-500 tablets meant for paralysis patients.
Drug control officials revealed that the tablets, labelled under Assam-based Sun Pharma’s brand, were found to be spurious after inspections at Venu Medical Agency. Sun Pharma’s representatives and Hyderabad-based CFA officials, alerted in April, confirmed the seized stock did not originate from their authorised facilities.
Samples sent to the lab showed the tablets did not match the original company’s production, though some elements of the active formula were detected. Authorities suspect traders, lured by higher commissions, are pushing these counterfeits through local agencies.
Officials seized 107 strips of fake Levipil-500 and filed cases against the agency, warning that more arrests could follow. Drug Control AD Srinivasulu and Inspector Karthik Bharadwaj said the seized material would be produced in court on Monday.
The investigation has exposed a vast network spreading past Karimnagar, connecting supply routes through Hyderabad, Kolkata, Uttar Pradesh, and maybe even Bihar. With Karimnagar alone home to more than 400 medical agencies, regulators are concerned the racket could be operating unchecked across the state.
Doctors, meanwhile, sounded the alarm, warning that patients might be taking harmful or substandard medicines without realising it, and then being left puzzled when treatments fail to work. Drug inspectors admitted they operate with minimal staff — only one AD, one inspector, and a clerk — and usually act only on complaints.
🚨 DCA Telangana busts counterfeit drug racket!
DCA seized Spurious Drug (Counterfeit Version) ‘Levipil 500’ Tablets (Levetiracetam Tablets 500 mg), falsely claimed to be manufactured by Sun Pharma Laboratories Ltd, at Hyderabad and Karimnagar. #TelanganaDCA pic.twitter.com/THl4rkLa82— DCA Telangana (@DCATelangana) July 6, 2025
In a fresh round of checks on Saturday, inspectors Rajireddy, Muralikrishna, and Chandan joined the Karimnagar team in tracing the fake stocks. Officials said repeated inspections alone could help control the trade, but resource gaps hamper routine surveillance.
The investigation continues to track the exact source of production and distribution of these counterfeit tablets, which have become highly sought-after among paralysis patients due to doctor preference.