Company owner arrested over substandard medicine imports

The owner of the company accused of importing substandard vials of immunoglobulin has been arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), police said.

Earlier, the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court imposed a foreign travel ban on three persons including the owner of the company, Aruna Deepthi for importing 22,500 substandard vials of immunoglobulin.

Earlier this month, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority had said that a batch of human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), imported to Sri Lanka from India in violation of the due procedure, was suspended from use. In a media release, the then NMRA Chairman Prof. S.D. Jayaratne had said that forged documents were found to have been submitted for Customs clearance when importing the drug, which later failed quality tests.

The product, manufactured by Livealth Biopharma Private Limited, India, was imported by a local medicine supplier called Isolez Biotech Pharma AG (Pvt.) Ltd.

It was reported that funds amounting to Rs. 130 million were misappropriated as a result of this unlawful importation of 22,500 vials of IVIG.

The NMRA had said that the situation came to light following reports of allergic reactions after the drug was administered to several patients under treatment at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo and the Matale District General Hospital on 22 August and 16 September, respectively.

The arrested suspect is to be produced before court today.