The Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, has vehemently refuted recent media reports suggesting that cancer patients were mistakenly administered incorrect oral chemotherapy drugs.
Dr. R. Rejnish Kumar, the RCC Director, issued a statement clarifying the situation. He acknowledged that while a labeling discrepancy did occur in a drug consignment from a supplier, the vigilant RCC pharmacy staff immediately identified the error upon opening the package. Crucially, the distribution of these medicines to patients was halted without delay.
Dr. Rejnish Kumar emphasized that absolutely no patients at the RCC received the incorrect medications, urging the public not to panic.
According to the RCC’s procurement guidelines for 2024–25, Globela Pharma Pvt. Ltd. is a supplier of temozolomide (250 mg, 100 mg, and 20 mg), an essential oral chemotherapy drug prescribed for specific brain cancers.
The incident in question involved a batch of 92 packets of temozolomide 100 mg (batch No. GSC24056) delivered to the RCC on March 25 of this year.
Standard procedure dictates a meticulous verification of batch numbers and all associated documentation for every new drug consignment before it’s integrated into the existing inventory. Since an adequate supply of temozolomide from a previous order was already on hand, this particular new batch wasn’t brought to the pharmacy for patient dispensing until June 27.
Critically, medicines are only ever distributed to patients after rigorous verification by the RCC’s dedicated pharmacy team. On July 12, when the first medications from this new batch were prepared for dispensing, staff observed that two out of ten packets were incorrectly labeled as etoposide 50 mg (an oral chemotherapy drug used for testicular and lung cancers) instead of temozolomide.
Upon immediate opening and inspection of these suspicious packets, it was confirmed that the bottles inside correctly contained temozolomide 100 mg, despite the outer mislabeling.
As a result of this alarming discrepancy, the distribution of temozolomide was promptly suspended throughout the pharmacy. The RCC reiterated that, consequently, no patient received the erroneously labeled medication.
Globela Pharma, the supplying company, was immediately notified. The RCC Drug Committee convened on July 30 to address the matter, subsequently informing the State Drugs Controller. A decisive action was taken: the RCC will cease all future procurement of temozolomide and etoposide from Globela Pharma Pvt. Ltd. and will not enter into any new contracts with the firm.
The State Drugs Controller received notification of the mislabeling on August 16. Officials from the Drugs Control department then visited the RCC on October 6, where all suspected medicine packets were officially impounded as part of the investigation.
Dr. Rejnish Kumar confirmed that further follow-up and appropriate legal action would be pursued by the Drugs Control department.
Adding to the official response, State Drugs Controller K. Sujithkumar verified that the RCC’s mislabeling complaint had been thoroughly investigated by drug control officials and found to be accurate.
He stated, “Four boxes of drugs were involved, and we have impounded both the medications and all associated consignment records. The pharmaceutical firm has been prosecuted under Section 17 B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, and legal proceedings are currently underway at the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s (CJM) court.”
Pharma Firm Originates from Gujarat
Sujithkumar further noted that because the pharmaceutical firm is located in Gujarat, the Gujarat State Drugs Control department has also been notified to initiate additional actions.
Furthermore, the State Drugs Control department has recommended that the RCC conduct its own internal investigation into the incident.