Substandard Cancer Drugs Imported from India to Armenia with Ministry's Approval

In 2023, cancer drugs were imported from India to Armenia that, according to an investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, are either ineffective or cause side effects. This is reported by HETQ.

The British Bureau of Investigative Journalism published an investigation in June 2025 regarding drugs used for cancer treatment. Chemotherapy drugs from various manufacturers were tested. 20% of the 189 samples did not meet qualitative standards, which included 20 brands from 17 manufacturers. The investigation found that the use of these drugs either provides no benefits or causes side effects with serious consequences. Various batches of these substandard drugs have appeared in more than 100 countries around the world, including Armenia.

In 2023, a total of 400 units each of Doxobyra (doxorubicin hydrochloride) and CTX-GLS (cyclophosphamide) were imported from India. HETQ has identified that the importer is Violeta Pharm LLC, which received an import certification from the Ministry of Health. Violeta Pharm LLC is linked to the Violeta Medical Center, which was at the center of a similar story two years ago.

A company representative mentioned that there had been no demand, and they realized that importing the drug was pointless. Additional information could not be clarified.

Two years later, Armenia is marked red again on the map of the distribution of substandard drugs, and the study shows that the importer is Violeta Pharm LLC, related to the Violeta Medical Center. The stories about the import of substandard cancer drugs from India indicate that ineffective drugs can also enter the market with the Ministry of Health's approval, while the oversight mechanisms are weak,” the media outlet wrote.