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Customs data show no records of immunoglobulin import by Isolez
View(s):By Namini Wijedasa
The disgraced Sri Lankan company Isolez Biotech Pharma AG (Pvt) Ltd., which allegedly sold counterfeit human immunoglobulin vials to the Health Ministry, imported neither the medication nor the raw material required to manufacture it—human blood plasma—through official channels, Customs data obtained by the Sunday Times show.
The company’s owner, Hewage Sudath Janaka Fernando, was arrested this week and remanded. But no action has been taken against officials of the Health Ministry or the National Medicines Regulatory Authority which rubber-stamped and made part payments for the controversial tender.
Isolez submitted its first quotation for 7,500 packs of human immunoglobulin to the Health Ministry’s Medical Supplies Division (MSD) as early as October 2022, more than 12 months ago. The cost was stated as US$ 975,000, or
Rs 316 million. The vials started being distributed to hospitals in July.
The quotation, which is addressed to the Additional Secretary to the Health Ministry, also reveals that Isolez planned to import “raw materials” for human immunoglobulin—which is blood plasma—and market the final product.
But Customs data for 2022 and 2023 obtained by the Sunday Times show that Isolez is not among the list of companies that imported blood plasma to Sri Lanka through official means. The total tender granted to the company by the Health Ministry was at least 22,500 vials.
Doubts regarding the medication only arose after the so-called immunoglobulin caused adverse reactions in some patients. The contents of the vials are still unknown. However, tests on patients who received the medication did not show the usual post-injection increase in immunoglobulin, a senior medical administrator said.
The CID is investigating the case.
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