# Karnataka FDA cancels 16, suspends 8 drug licences in fake medicine probe 2026-09-20T17:21:54+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets The Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration cancelled 16 drug licences and suspended eight others as its investigation into a suspected counterfeit medicine network near Bidadi expands to pharmacies and wholesalers. Among the suspended licences is the wholesale licence of Pfizer Ltd in Bengaluru Rural district. The action follows the FDA's August 18 raid on an unlicensed facility in Kurubarakeranahalli, where officials seized medicines, machinery, packaging material and forged labels worth Rs 5.05 crore. The FDA blocked the batch numbers of seized medicines on its portal and sent samples for laboratory testing. Preliminary investigations revealed that low-cost medications from neighbouring states were allegedly refilled into new vials and relabelled to counterfeit expensive life-saving brands, specifically imitating imported products under the brand name Pfizer. The seized stock included 5,640 vials of CEFIAVIGENT 2.5 Injection valued at Rs 3.38 crore, among other drugs. Officials recovered an injection filling machine worth Rs 7 lakh and forged labels and stamps valued at Rs 14 lakh. The FDA has registered a criminal case under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has widened the probe to trace the supply chain. Health Minister UT Khader said authorities will take strict action after the SIT submits its findings, according to PTI. The FDA has advised consumers to buy medicines only from licensed pharmacies and report suspicious packaging or non-functional QR codes. ## Indian Opinion Analysis All three sources reported the same facts from the FDA statement, with Livemint adding Health Minister UT Khader's warning of strict action and Pfizer's suspension due to alleged non-cooperation with the SIT. Hindustan Times provided the most granular detail on seized drugs and the modus operandi, while Deccan Herald gave only the briefest wire summary. The uniform straight reporting from all outlets means the coverage is essentially the official FDA account without critical interrogation. What remains unaddressed is the scale of the network beyond these licence actions and whether regulatory gaps enabled the alleged counterfeiting to operate undetected. The SIT's findings will determine the actual reach of the syndicate. On the wider probe, Hindustan Times and Deccan Herald both reported the SIT's expansion without additional context. The balanced reading is that while the FDA has acted decisively on the tip-off, the test lies in the SIT's ability to trace the supply chain beyond the 24 licence actions and whether systemic regulatory failures allowed the alleged counterfeiting to operate. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com (neutral report) Straight factual report from FDA statement, no commentary or criticism - deccanherald.com (neutral report) Brief wire report with no additional framing or analysis - livemint.com (neutral report) Factual report adding minister's statement but no editorial stance Tags: Bidadi, Karnataka FDA, Pfizer Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/karnataka-fda-cancels-16-drug-licences-in-spurious-medicine-probe/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/karnataka-fda-cancels-16-drug-licences-in-spurious-medicine-probe/#story-in-brief