The counterfeit drugs were discovered by officers at the Tashkent-Aero Specialized Customs Complex during an inspection of a shipment that had arrived from China.
According to the customs declaration, the medicine, marketed under the brand name Efba, was manufactured in India. However, inspectors found that the packaging and labeling contained no information about either the country of origin or the manufacturer, raising suspicions about the authenticity of the products.
To import the medicine into Uzbekistan, the consignee was required to obtain a certificate of conformity from the Center for Pharmaceutical Product Safety under the Ministry of Health. Customs authorities said the importers had submitted a sample of the genuine Indian-made Efba to obtain the certificate of conformity before attempting to use the same approval to import the counterfeit shipment.
Efba is an infusion solution containing levofloxacin, an antibiotic from the fluoroquinolone class. Officials warned that counterfeit versions of the drug could pose serious health risks to patients.
A criminal case has been opened in connection with the attempted import of the illegal shipment.
