Centre yet to send team to probe Biocon's drug imports

BANGALORE: The Centre is yet to depute a team to probe Biocon's alleged illegal import of a drug that the company was to have manufactured in India, Karnataka Health Minister R Ashok said on Monday.

The state promptly informed the Centre after the company illegally imported medicines from China, violating licence norms, he told reporters here.

Karnataka had cancelled the licence issued to the biotech giant for manufacture of a drug used in treatment of neuro disorders on the ground that the firm instead of producing it at its unit had chosen to import it from China.

Biocon is continuing to import the drug even after the controversy broke out by securing licence from the Centre, Ashok pointed out.

The company, which has denied the charge, had stated that it only imported the chemical compound and not the drug.