DRAP Recalls 10 Batches of Exoran and Exit Injections Over Particles in Water Batch W-174

Short answer: On 19 October 2026 the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) recalled 10 batches of Exoran and Exit injection packs made by City Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Karachi. The water for injection in these packs, batch W-174, failed a lab test because it had particles you can see with the naked eye.

Water for injection is the small ampoule of sterile water packed with a powder injection. A nurse or doctor mixes the two before the dose is given. If that water is not clean, the whole injection is not safe, however good the powder is.

We read DRAP's recall alert on its website and the signed PDF on 20 October 2026. This report covers what the alert names, who is at risk and what to do if one of these packs is in your home, your pharmacy or your ward.

DRAP recalled 10 batches of four injection packs on 19 October

DRAP's alert names four products from one Karachi maker: Exoran 500 mg and 1 g injection vials, and Exit 500 mg and 1 g injections. Ten batch numbers are listed. All of them were packed with the same water for injection, batch W-174.

The maker on every line is City Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Plot 12-A, I-5, Sector 5, Korangi Industrial Area, Karachi, with drug manufacturing licence number 00723. The alert reference on the PDF is No. I/S/10-26-41.

The alert does not name the medicine inside the Exoran and Exit vials. Read the name and batch on your own box rather than going by brand alone. The alert also covers any other product packed with water for injection batch W-174, so the W-174 number on the ampoule matters as much as the vial's batch.

The water failed because of particles visible to the eye

The Central Drugs Testing Laboratory in Karachi tested samples of the water for injection from these combo packs. It declared batch W-174 substandard because it had particles visible to the naked eye. The alert's heading calls the product substandard and adulterated.

Sterile water for injection should be clear. Particles you can see mean the batch is not of the required standard. In plain words, the water did not meet the specification it was registered under.

A short note on dates. The alert's web page shows an older reference, I/S/07-26-36, and an action date of 14 July 2026. The signed PDF attached to the same page is dated 19 October 2026 and numbered I/S/10-26-41. We have used the PDF, because it is the signed document.

Newborns, older patients and drip patients face the highest risk

DRAP calls this a high public health risk. It says the people most likely to be harmed are newborns, children, older patients, people with weak immunity, patients after surgery and anyone on IV therapy. The greatest risk, it says, is in intensive care and emergency wards.

The alert lists what can go wrong. Particles in water for injection may cause bloodstream infections, septic or fever reactions and complications that can be fatal. Particles may also block small blood vessels or cause swelling and inflammation.

That is a list of possible harms, not a report of harm. The alert does not say anyone has been hurt by these batches. It is a warning to stop use before anyone is.

Check the box and the ampoule before the next dose

If you or a relative has an Exoran or Exit injection pack, look at two numbers: the batch on the vial or box, and the batch on the water ampoule. If either matches the alert, do not use the pack. Speak to your doctor about a replacement.

1. Find the batch number on the outer box. It is usually printed near the expiry date as "B. No." or "Batch".
2. Open the box and read the number on the small water ampoule. Look for W-174.
3. If the box batch matches the table above, or the ampoule says W-174, put the pack aside. Do not mix it or let anyone inject it.
4. Call your doctor and ask for another brand or batch for the rest of the course. Do not stop an antibiotic or other course on your own.
5. Take the pack back to the pharmacy where you bought it, and keep the receipt if you have one.
6. If someone already had a dose and then got a fever, chills or swelling at the injection site, see a doctor and report it to DRAP.

In hospital, you can still ask. Patients and families have every right to see the box before an injection is mixed. The same habit helps with the drips and ampoules in our earlier report on sterile water and IV drip recalls, where a different maker's water for injection failed a test this year.

Pharmacies must quarantine stock and return it

DRAP told pharmacists and chemists to check their stock at once, stop supplying these batches and any product containing water for injection W-174, quarantine what is left and return it to the supplier. Inspectors will survey the market and remove the batches.

The field force of DRAP and of the provincial drug control departments has been told to search the market. Hospital pharmacies are named in the alert too, so a ward store holding these packs should pull them from the shelf, not wait for an inspector.

Doctors and nurses who see a reaction after one of these products are asked to report it to the National Pharmacovigilance Centre. The steps for patients are the same, and the side effect reporting form works for families as well as for health workers.

Common questions

Which injections did DRAP recall on 19 October 2026?

DRAP recalled Exoran 500 mg and 1 g vials and Exit 500 mg and 1 g injections, 10 batches in all, made by City Pharmaceutical Laboratories in Karachi. The water for injection in their packs, batch W-174, failed a test.

What was wrong with water for injection batch W-174?

The Central Drugs Testing Laboratory in Karachi found particles visible to the naked eye. It declared the batch substandard. DRAP's alert also calls the product adulterated.

Are all Exoran and Exit injections recalled?

No. The alert names 10 batch numbers only. Other batches are not named, so match your box and ampoule against the list before deciding.

My child had one of these injections. What should I do?

Watch for fever, chills, a fast heartbeat or swelling where the needle went in. If any of these appear, see a doctor straight away and mention the batch number. Then report it to DRAP.

Can I get a refund from the pharmacy?

DRAP tells pharmacies to return the stock to their supplier, so most will take the pack back. The alert does not mention refunds. Ask at the counter and keep your receipt.

How do I contact DRAP about this recall?

The alert gives DRAP's Islamabad number, 051 9255969, and the email gsms@dra.gov.pk. Side effects go to the National Pharmacovigilance Centre through DRAP's online form.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read DRAP's recall alert 41 page and its signed PDF on 20 October 2026. Both were posted on 19 October 2026. The page and the PDF give different alert numbers and dates, and we used the PDF. We could not find out which medicine the Exoran and Exit vials contain, where the batches were sold, or how many packs were made, because the alert does not say. For more on finding a batch number, see how to check a recalled batch.