A drug inspection team of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday seized Efroze Chemical Industries for its alleged misconduct and lack of professionalism in the production of lifesaving drug 'IsoTab', which is said to have claimed over 125 lives so far.
IsoTab tablet produced by this company was found to be contaminated with Pyri-methamine. IsoTab (tablet) is said to be the cause of death of over a hundred patients in Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).
The team of Federal Investigation Agency along with officials of Health Department reached the factory located in Korangi Industrial Area and seized it and impounded all records of the factory.
"We had raided the said pharma company on 26th January 2011 on the directives of Interior Ministry and collected samples of IsoTab from there", said Akbar Baloch, Deputy Director, Crime Cell, FIA.
He said that FIA had also confiscated 47.9 kg of Pyrimethamine, a dug commonly used as anti-malarial drug.
Officials said that action had been taken on the directive of Sindh government when government of Punjab has received report from the London laboratory which said that the cardiac drug, prepared by a Karachi pharmaceutical company, was the cause of deaths in Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).
He said the lab declared one of the cardiac drugs as contaminated with an anti-malarial drug, which caused the deaths of more than a hundred patients in Lahore.
He noted that the said pharmaceutical company had manufactured 23 batches of IsoTab, containing heavy particles of Pyrimethamine. Of these, 22 batches were dispatched to Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) and one batch was dispatched to Punjab Employees Social Security (PESC), he added.
Officials pointed out that the samples of IsoTab, which were dispatched to lab in London were tested as substandard and injurious to health.
Sources said that tests conducted by a laboratory in London proved that the substandard medicine was behind the deaths as it contained anti-malarial chemical 14 times more than required.
On the other side, the company's management called the drug reaction scandal a conspiracy hatched to damage the reputation of the company and to destroy the local pharmaceutical industry.
General Manager of Efroze Pharma said that they have initiated an internal inquiry about the IsoTab related deaths.
Sources said that the names of the owners of the company have been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL).
FIA sources said that the team had also collected samples from two other pharma factories which have also been sent for lab testing. They said that action would also be taken against these factories if found in such type of negligence.