Thyroid drug Thyronorm 'Not of Standard Quality': TS Drugs Control Administration

Hyderabad: The Telangana Drugs Control Administration has announced that the Thyronorm tablet that is widely used for hypothyroidism is "Not of Standard Quality." The drug controller took samples of the tablet (batch no. AEG 1987) for testing after complaints from city doctors. Patients who were prescribed the drug did not see any benefits after using it. They complained to the doctors who then alerted the drug controller.

The samples were collected over a period of two months from different pharmacies across the city. It was found that tablets from batch no. AEG 1987 were not of standard quality. The drug controller released the report on its website last week. It was found that there was no thyroxine sodium chemical in the tablets of batch I.P.AEG1987. With no chemical in the tablet, the drug is ineffective. The drug is manufactured by Acme Generics LLP in Himachal Pradesh.

Meanwhile, Abbott India Ltd. which markets Thyronorm said the drug tested by the TS drug agency is a fake. In a statement, the company said Thyronorm tablets mentioned by the Telangana Drugs Control Administration are not manufactured or marketed by Abbott. The market for Thyronorm tablets is very high in India and the drug is mostly used by women who suffer from hypothyroidism. According to the 'Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism', hypothyroid is suffered by 11% of the population in India and the maximum numbers are women. Dr. Shyam Kalavalapalli, a senior endocrinologist, explained, "Spurious tablets of Thyronorm are creating problems in treatment. Two months ago, a patient on high dosage had no impact and the drug controller had to be alerted." The fake drugs make the treatment of the disease a challenge.

Hypothyroidism is noted in women in the age group of 19 to 45 years. Due to hormonal changes, even pregnant women suffer from this disease. The symptoms are weight gain, fatigue, hair loss, shortness of breath, poor memory, lack of concentration, and dry skin.

In the samples that were collected from batch AEG 1233, the Telangana Drug Controller found that on the bottle it was written 100 mcg but in composition, it was found to be 50 mcg. The batch had multiple bottles with similar discrepancies. These batches have now been seized from the market. The table to thyroid compensates for the non-functioning of the thyroid gland. For this reason, the chemical composition in the dosage is very important. If this dosage is not as prescribed it will affect the body.