US federal court fines Dr Reddy lab with $5-million

US federal court imposed $5 million penality on the North America subsidiary of India's Dr Reddy Laboratories for distributing prescription drugs in blister packs that were not child resistant, the Department of Justice said.

"Dr Reddy's failed to ensure that children were protected from potentially harmful prescription drugs," said acting assistant attorney general Chad A Readler of the Justice Department's Civil Division.

The court in New Jersey imposed the fine after a complaint that Dr Reddy Laboratories (DRL) failed to comply with the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA) and the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA).

"Child-resistant packaging is a critical safety measure put in place to protect our country's children", said CPSC acting chairman Ann Marie Buerkle.