The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has announced a total of 240 drug samples tested across the country during the month of January, 2026 as Not of Standard Quality (NSQ).
Out of the total samples that failed the tests, 68 were identified in the Central Drugs Laboratories, while 172 were identified by the State Drugs Testing Laboratories.
"Identification of drug samples as NSQ is done based on failure of the drug sample in one or the other specified quality parameters. The failure is specific to the drug products of the batch tested by the government laboratory and it does not warrant any concerns on the other drug products available in the market," said the drug regulator.
During the month of January, a total of three drug samples were identified as spurious. This includes one drug sample each from NCT, Delhi; Uttarakhand; and West Bengal. The central drug regulator said that these samples were manufactured by unauthorized manufacturers using brand names owned by other companies. The matter is under investigation and action will be taken as per Act & Rules.
"This action of identifying NSQ and Spurious medicines is taken on a regular basis in collaboration with state regulators to ensure that these drugs are identified and removed from the market," it added.
It may be noted that the CDSCO has declared 167 samples as NSQs during the month of December, 2025, out of which 93 samples were reported by the state laboratories. Seven drug samples were declared as spurious during the month, on which investigations have been announced by the drug regulator. |