The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has declared 112 drug samples as Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) in its monthly drug alert for September 2025.
The announcement was made following quality assessments carried out by both Central and State drug regulatory authorities.
According to the CDSCO, the Central Drugs Laboratories identified 52 samples as NSQ, while the State Drugs Testing Laboratories classified 60 samples under the same category. The findings form part of the organisation’s routine regulatory surveillance activity, under which the list of NSQ and spurious drugs is published on its official portal every month.
“The identification of NSQ samples is based on the failure of a drug sample to meet one or more prescribed quality parameters,” the alert stated. Officials clarified that such findings apply only to the specific batches tested and do not imply concerns regarding other products from the same manufacturer available in the market.
In addition to the NSQ findings, the CDSCO reported one spurious drug sample from Chhattisgarh during the month. The product, officials said, was manufactured by an unauthorised entity using a brand name belonging to another company. The matter is currently under investigation, and further action will be initiated in accordance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules.
The regulatory body emphasised that the identification of NSQ and spurious medicines is a continuous process undertaken in coordination with State authorities to ensure that substandard drugs are detected and removed from circulation.
In comparison, 94 drug samples were declared NSQ in August, with 32 samples identified by the Central Drugs Laboratories and 62 by the State Drugs Testing Laboratories.
