The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of a media report that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) had asked state regulators, doctors and patients to remain vigilant about two medicines — liver therapy drug Defitalio and cancer drug Adcetris — whose falsified versions were circulating in four countries, including India.

The CDSCO advisory followed an alert from the World Health Organisation.

Reportedly, the falsified versions of the Adcetris 50mg injection are most often found to be available at the patient level and distributed through unregulated supply chains (mainly online).

The NHRC has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights. It has issued notices to the secretary in the Union ministry of health and family welfare and the Drugs Controller General of India, calling for a detailed report on the matter within four weeks. The NHRC wants the report to include the current status of the implementation of the relevant laws to check the supply and sale of the falsified versions of life-saving drugs, including Defitalio and Adcetris.