Patient safety top priority, Pfizer says after Karnataka FDA action

Pfizer on Tuesday said patient safety and product quality are its highest priorities, reacting to the Karnataka Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) action regarding the circulation of counterfeit drugs.

The Karnataka health regulator on Sunday said it has cancelled 16 drug licences of retailers and wholesalers and suspended eight others in connection with the alleged distribution and sale of spurious medicines.

“Patient safety and product quality are of the highest priority for us at Pfizer,” the company said in a statement late on Tuesday evening.

Pfizer claimed that it has been working with authorities for the last one month since the matter was brought to its attention.

“Since then, we have taken several actions to support the investigation, including removing from the market Pfizer batches (where batch numbers were copied by counterfeit) to avoid confusion, supporting to differentiate between original and counterfeit product, and providing technical and other relevant information related to the affected batches,” the company added.

Pfizer stated that it continues to work closely with authorities to resolve the open queries, emphasising that its focus remains on protecting patients, safeguarding public health and maintaining confidence in the healthcare system.