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DOJ sentences Indian in counterfeit cancer drug plot
U.S. authorities said the counterfeit cancer drug sold by the accused lacked the active ingredient and was ineffective.
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Malvika Choudhary - Sat, 07, Mar 2026
- 15:20 EST
- 30
Representative image / Pexels
An Indian national has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for conspiring to sell counterfeit cancer medication in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Sanjay Kumar, 45, was sentenced after pleading guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods.
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According to court documents, between August 2018 and June 2024, Kumar and his co-conspirators arranged the sale of counterfeit versions of the prescription cancer drug Keytruda to undercover law enforcement agents.
Prosecutors said Kumar and his associates sold fake versions of the drug bearing counterfeit marks. The counterfeit medication was chemically inconsistent with genuine Keytruda and did not contain the active ingredient required for the drug to work, making it ineffective.
Authorities said Kumar and his co-conspirators received about $89,268 for sales of the counterfeit medication to undercover investigators.
Before his arrest in Houston, Kumar attempted to arrange additional shipments of the counterfeit drug into the United States during an in-person meeting with undercover agents. During the meeting, he acknowledged the risks posed by counterfeit pharmaceuticals and said the fake Keytruda would not treat cancer and was “just like water.”
Keytruda is an immunotherapy drug approved in the United States for several conditions, including melanoma, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, gastric cancer, cervical cancer, and breast cancer.
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC holds the exclusive authorization to manufacture Keytruda for introduction into interstate commerce in the United States.
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