Dr Reddy's breached packaging rules, says US regulator

Export-focused Indian drugmaker Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd said it was in talks with a US regulator over allegations it violated packaging rules for some prescription drugs sold there between 2008 and 2012.

The allegations by the US government's Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) are the latest in a series of regulatory troubles facing Indian pharmaceutical firms in their biggest export market, the United States.

In a US stock exchange filing this week, Dr Reddy's said the CPSC planned to seek civil penalties against the company for allegedly violating rules intended to prevent children from ingesting harmful substances.

The company said any unfavorable outcome could result in "significant liabilities" and added that it disagreed with the allegations.

Indian drugmakers have suffered a string of drug recalls and manufacturing quality-related issues that have hurt the reputation of the $15 billion-a-year industry as a supplier of cheap generic drugs, and led to increased scrutiny from regulators.

(Reuters)