3 min readNew DelhiApr 13, 2026 09:47 AM IST
The responsibility for used medicinal packaging falls on individual healthcare facilities that follow local regulations and protocols, said MSD, the international subsidiary of Merck & Co, in response to a questionnaire from The Indian Express on the findings of its investigation on the growing counterfeit market for its cancer drug Keytruda.
“Once a company product is delivered through the legitimate supply chain to a distributor, the company does not have visibility into how vials or packaging are handled after use. Disposal of used medicinal packaging is governed by local regulations and institutional procedures implemented by healthcare facilities,” it said.
Asked what action it had taken after the Delhi Police seized batches of Keytruda from persons working in oncology departments of Delhi hospitals, it said, “The Delhi Police requested MSD to test seized samples of alleged Keytruda. We conducted analysis of the samples at our Forensic Services Laboratory and provided the results to the Delhi Police. As a general matter, the Company routinely supports and cooperates with law enforcement and regulatory authorities and provides technical or product-related assistance when requested in the course of investigations or enforcement actions.”
Vials of counterfeit Keytruda seized by Delhi Police.Responding to another query on whether the company has implemented a system to ensure that each drug unit from a specific batch is used only once and disposed of in accordance with norms, it said, “Once a company product is delivered through the legitimate supply chain to its intended end user, the company does not have visibility into how vials or packaging are handled after use. At present, the company does not have in place a tracking system that ensures each vial from a specific batch is used only once and then disposed of in a particular manner after clinical use. Disposal of used medicinal packaging is governed by local regulations and institutional procedures implemented by healthcare facilities.”
On specific actions taken on batches recovered from the accused persons, MSD said, “We conducted analysis of the samples at our Forensic Services Laboratory and provided the results to the Delhi Police. Investigative and enforcement responsibility appropriately rests with the competent authorities. Our role in cases involving suspected counterfeits is to support and cooperate with authorities if and when they request assistance, including providing technical information to help confirm product authenticity.”
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