BP drug telmisartan fails quality test at Mayo Hospital, stock recalled

Questions have been raised over the quality of another medicine at Nagpur's Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital, known as Mayo Hospital. A government analyst has declared a batch of the blood pressure drug Telmisev-40, or Telmisartan Tablets IP 40 mg, "not of standard quality," meaning the drug did not meet the prescribed quality standards.

After the report came in, the hospital administration immediately ordered a halt to the sale and distribution of the drug and directed that all stock already distributed in the market be recalled at once. A few days earlier, similar action had been taken over the quality of paracetamol at the same government medical college and hospital. With the ban now also placed on the Telmisartan batch at Mayo, questions are being raised about the testing system for medicines issued from medical stores at government hospitals.

The letter issued mentions batch number CHPLT416 of Telmisev-40. The drug was manufactured in July 2025 and has an expiry date of June 2027. It was manufactured by Curesys Healthcare Private Limited, a company based in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

As soon as the quality report was received, orders were issued to stop the sale and distribution of the drug and to immediately recall the stock already distributed. Certified copies of documents related to the drug's procurement, distribution and sale have also been sought. The letter cites relevant provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Following the directive, stock of the drug is being withdrawn from the hospital pharmacy, including the wards.

A few days earlier, action had been taken over the quality of paracetamol at the government medical college and hospital. With the ban now also placed on the Telmisartan batch at Mayo, discussion has begun over the quality checking and supply system for medicines at government hospitals.

The examination found flaws both in the external appearance of the drug and in its dissolution capacity. According to the report, nearly all of the 40 tablets examined showed uneven, light brown spots under normal light, and the sample also failed to meet the prescribed standard in the dissolution test. For this reason, the sample was declared not to conform to the prescribed quality standards.