Bengaluru, Sept. 20 -- The Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FDA) has cancelled the licences of 16 pharmacies and suspended eight more as part of action against establishments allegedly linked to the distribution of spurious medicines traced to a farmhouse in Bidadi.

The regulatory action followed a raid conducted by the FDA's Drug Enforcement Wing on August 18 at a farmhouse in Kurubarakeranahalli, near Bidadi. Officials seized suspected spurious medicines, packaging material and equipment allegedly used for repacking and relabelling drugs. The total value of the seized material and machinery was estimated at around Rs 5.05 crore.

Preliminary findings of the FDA investigation indicated that the premises were allegedly bei...