Generic drugs industry is damaged by quality fears

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After an inspection of an Indian firm's manufacturing plant, the Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said its production methods for generic drugs sold in the UK, including a version of the anti-depressant Prozac made by Swiss giant Novartis, failed the minimum standards set by the European Union.

Other drugs involved in the recall included hypertension pills, diabetes medicine and pain-relieving drugs.

The agency's inspectors said they found "inaccuracies contained in documents such as batch manufacturing and testing records" but maintained that, "at present, there is no specific evidence to suggest that the medicines are not safe for patient use".

With generics making up more than a fifth of the UK's pharmaceuticals market, including supplying 22% of NHS-dispensed medicines, Big Pharma could benefit from a potential backlash by consumers concerned about the drugs' safety.

Earlier this year, AstraZeneca had a sales boost to its blood pressure drug Toprol XL when one of its generic rivals was criticised by the US watchdog the Food and Drug Administration, and then taken off the market.