’17 differences flagged’: Spurious rabies vaccine racket busted after raids in Delhi

An investigation by the Central Drug Standards and Control Organisation (CDSCO) has uncovered a fraudulent rabies vaccine operation in North Delhi, following raids in April. The CDSCO stated that counterfeit human rabies vaccine Abhayrab was discovered during the searches carried out by the Crime Branch, Delhi Police, and Drugs Inspectors from the Drugs Control Department.

Four individuals were arrested as a result of the operation. Tests conducted by the Central Drugs Laboratory in Kasauli revealed that the vials, labeled Abhayrab, were not produced by Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL), the company with a 40% share of the domestic rabies vaccine market and responsible for manufacturing the vaccine.

The government's laboratory found 17 discrepancies between the seized vials and the retained samples of the same batch held at the lab. These discrepancies included labeling, artwork, QR code verification, cap color, license details, and packaging text. IIL confirmed that the genuine batch had only been released after government inspections and that all 83,370 vials were distributed strictly through its authorized distribution network, with no market complaints received against it.

IIL has shared its manufacturing and distribution records with CDSCO and asked authorities to trace the source of the counterfeit vials. The case highlights the ongoing struggle India faces with rabies, with a 2025 study estimating 5,726 human rabies deaths annually. Rabies vaccines, like Abhayrab, work by training the immune system to recognize the rabies virus and produce antibodies against it.

In the case of Abhayrab, a series of vaccine shots are administered after an animal bite, ideally within 24 hours. Despite the existence of other rabies vaccines such as Rabipur, Verorab, and Indirab, India accounts for 36% of the world's rabies deaths, with nearly one in five bite victims never receiving any anti-rabies vaccination and nearly half of those who start the course failing to complete it. The integrity of the supply chain is crucial to the life and death of thousands affected by rabies.