Panacea loses drug contract with WHO over quality issues

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has removed three combination vaccines made by Panacea Biotech from its pre-qualification list; which means it will no longer buy drugs from the Punjab-based company.

It said it took the step after it found deficiencies in the quality management system at Panacea's vaccine manufacturing facility in Lalru, Punjab.

Shipments of these vaccines – combinations of diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hepatitis B and Hib B vaccines – has been put on hold until a final decision on the acceptability for United Nations supply is made by a WHO-convened ad hoc committee.

The de-listing follows an inspection of the plant carried out by another WHO panel between 27 June and 1 July, which recommended the move. The ad-hoc committee will review the findings of the audit team.

This means that Panacea will lose UNICEF and the Pan American Health Organisation, which supply such pre-qualified vaccines to the developing countries, from its list of buyers, at least for now.

Panacea said in a statement on Thursday, "The company's diptheria-pertussis-tetanus based combination vaccines Easyfive, Ecovac4 and EnivacHB have been de-listed by the WHO from its list of pre-qualified vaccines.