Delhi Oncology Scandal: Used Keytruda Vials From Hospitals Refilled With Antifungals And Sold To Desperate Cancer Patients

Los Angeles/ Apr 22, 2026
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/ A.Gary Singh

A shocking investigation has exposed a ruthless counterfeit racket in Delhi’s premier cancer hospitals where oncology department staff allegedly stole empty Keytruda (pembrolizumab) vials — a life-saving immunotherapy drug costing over ₹1.5 lakh per 100 mg vial — refilled them with cheap antifungal injections, and sold the fakes to terminally ill patients at discounted prices. The exposé, based on over 12,500 pages of police and hospital records, reveals how insider greed is preying on patients battling for survival, exploiting critical lapses in the handling and disposal of high-value medicinal packaging.

The modus operandi was disturbingly simple and deadly. Pharmacists and support staff in oncology departments of hospitals including Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre (RGCIRC), Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Millennium Cancer Center, and Venkateshwar Hospital collected used or semi-filled Keytruda vials. Instead of proper destruction, these vials — bearing authentic batch numbers and packaging — were diverted, refilled with antifungal medication (often costing just ₹100–200 per vial), resealed, and resold through pharmacies or platforms like IndiaMart for ₹40,000–₹90,000. At least eight patients have been identified as having received these counterfeits; one later died without receiving the actual drug.

*How Oncology Departments Handle (and Fail) Used Packaging*

Hospitals claim strict protocols: drugs are mixed under CCTV in cytotoxic units, empty vials are defaced, labels torn, and placed in locked biomedical waste bins before handover to authorised vendors. Yet investigators found glaring gaps — vials were neither crushed nor accurately counted during disposal. Empty boxes and partially used vials walked out undetected, sometimes in staff backpacks. One raid recovered 519 empty Keytruda vials and large cash amounts from an accused who had worked as an oncology manager in major Delhi hospitals for over 15 years.

Merck & Co (MSD, the manufacturer) has clarified that once the drug enters the legitimate supply chain, responsibility for used packaging and disposal lies entirely with healthcare facilities under local biomedical waste regulations. The company cooperated with Delhi Police by testing seized samples, confirming many contained no pembrolizumab.

*The Human Cost: Greed Cheating Patients Fighting for Survival*

Cancer patients and families, already devastated by the disease and the drug’s exorbitant cost (often ₹3 lakh+ per month without insurance or Patient Access Programme benefits), were lured by “discounted” offers from hospital insiders or fixers. Many purchased outside the hospital pharmacy, assuming authenticity because of genuine-looking vials and batch numbers. Doctors prescribing Keytruda rarely verified the source or authenticity of drugs bought externally, leaving patients vulnerable. One family described the shock when police informed them the “miracle” injections were fake antifungal liquid — money spent in vain while their loved one’s cancer progressed unchecked.

This is not isolated greed; it is systemic exploitation. Empty vials fetched ₹3,000–₹6,000 from insiders, refilled fakes sold for 4–10 times that amount. Police have arrested at least 12 people in one syndicate, including pharmacists caught red-handed in 2024 at RGCIRC. A chargesheet filed in Tis Hazari Court details the network spanning Delhi and Gurgaon.

*Doctors, Hospitals and the Verification Gap*

Oncologists and hospital administrations have been urged to introspect. While most doctors prescribe in good faith, the lack of mandatory source verification for costly injectables administered outside hospital premises has enabled the racket. Patients often buy from external pharmacies or “trusted” hospital contacts to save money, with no robust system to barcode, track, or authenticate each vial at the point of administration.

*Urgent Wake-Up Call Before More Cases and Arrests*

This scandal must serve as a national alarm. Experts and patient advocates stress that without immediate reforms, more vulnerable patients will pay with their lives:

Hospitals must implement foolproof disposal — mandatory crushing/shredding of vials, real-time digital tracking of high-value cytotoxic waste, and independent audits.

Strict accountability for oncology staff and biomedical waste handlers with severe penalties for diversion.

Doctors and hospitals should insist on in-house verified supply or authenticated third-party purchases with batch verification apps.

Central and state drug regulators must mandate unique serialization for expensive oncology biologics and strengthen biomedical waste rules.

Public awareness campaigns so patients demand proof of authenticity and report suspiciously cheap offers.

Delhi Police and the Enforcement Directorate have already acted, registering cases and launching money-laundering probes. But the real test is whether hospitals and regulators will fix the broken system that allowed this betrayal of trust — or wait for the next arrest and the next preventable tragedy.