India-West Staff Reporter
HOUSTON, TX – An Indian national has been charged with selling and shipping counterfeit oncology pharmaceuticals worth tens of thousands of dollars into the US, following an indictment by a federal grand jury in Houston on July 25.
The indictment names Sanjay Kumar, 43, from Bihar, as the primary suspect. According to court documents, Kumar and his co-conspirators allegedly organized the sale and distribution of fake cancer drugs, including counterfeit versions of Keytruda, to US residents.
Keytruda, a cancer immunotherapy, is approved in the US for 19 different types of cancer, including melanoma, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, gastric cancer, cervical cancer, and breast cancer. Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC holds the exclusive rights to manufacture Keytruda for interstate commerce, a statement from the Department of Justice said.
Kumar was apprehended on June 26 in Houston after he traveled to the US to negotiate further expansion of his counterfeit drug business.
The charges against Kumar include one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit drugs and four counts of trafficking in counterfeit drugs. If found guilty, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count.
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