Pakistan's Shifa Labs has license suspended

Lahore, Pakistan-based Shifa Laboratories has had its manufacturing license suspended for one year after it was linked to the supply of more than 300 million substandard paracetamol tablets to a government programme aimed at providing medical care to the poor.

A report in the local Dawn newspaper (available here) says that eight of nine members of Pakistan's Central Licensing Board voted to suspend Shifa's license after concluding that the firm had deliberately violated the country's Drugs Act of 1976.

The Pakistani government paid 70 million rupees ($830,000) for the supplies, which were destined for use in the national lady health workers' programme.