CCP Fines 7 Animal Medicine Companies Rs. 55 Lac

The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has fined seven veterinary medicine manufacturers a combined Rs. 5.5 million for using brand names and packaging that closely resembled the registered “COLCOREX” trademark, calling the practice deceptive and misleading.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Shahujee Herbal Pharma, which said it has marketed veterinary herbal medicine under the COLCOREX brand since 1999. The trademark was officially registered with the Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) of Pakistan in 2017.

After an investigation, the CCP found that several companies marketed similar products using names that either copied the trademark outright or made only minor spelling changes, prefixes, or suffixes. The Commission also found that some firms imitated the original product’s packaging, colours, typography, and branding, creating a misleading impression for customers.

The regulator imposed Rs. 1 million each on Atzan Natural Products, Muslim Herbal and Nutraceuticals, S-Asia Oriental Pharma, and Izfaar Nutraceuticals Industries. HerBBeck Nutraceuticals, Vital Mark Laboratories (Pvt.) Ltd., and Hi-Vet Nutraceuticals Pharma were each fined Rs. 500,000. Proceedings against Blessco International were dropped due to insufficient evidence.

The CCP clarified that approval or product enlistment by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) does not grant companies the right to use another firm’s registered trademark or limit the Commission’s authority to act against deceptive marketing.

The Commission ordered all penalized companies to stop using the disputed trademarks, remove related promotional material, and submit compliance reports within 30 days. It warned that failure to comply would result in an additional Rs. 100,000 per day penalty.