Have you ever imagined that hospital staff themselves could be part of a life-threatening drug scam? A shocking exposé reveals how fake Keytruda injections were made using used vials and sold to cancer patients across Delhi-NCR, turning a ₹1.5 lakh life-saving drug into a deadly deception

New Delhi: When a loved one is battling cancer, you trust every medicine, every doctor, and every hospital without question—but what if that trust is misplaced? On April 13, 2026, The Indian Express revealed a shocking racket : pharmacists and middlemen inside top hospitals were taking used Keytruda vials and real batch numbers to make and sell fake versions of this life-saving cancer drug. For patients already struggling with high costs, this turned hope into serious danger.

The Drug Patients Call a “Miracle”

Keytruda (pembrolizumab), made by Merck & Co (MSD), is an immunotherapy drug used to treat advanced cancers like lung, liver, head and neck cancer, and melanoma. One 100 mg vial costs more than ₹1.5 lakh, which most Indian families cannot afford.

For many patients, it is the last option when chemotherapy stops working. Doctors at hospitals like PGIMER Chandigarh and Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre often prescribe it as a possible breakthrough treatment.

But because it is so expensive, many families look for cheaper options—and this is exactly where the fake drug racket took advantage.

How the Racket Worked: From Hospitals to Black Market

The operation involved hospital staff and outside agents working together. Pharmacists and nurses in major cancer hospitals collected used or empty Keytruda vials after real treatments. These vials, along with original batch numbers, were secretly taken out.

Middlemen then refilled the vials with cheap substitutes—often antifungal medicines like Fluconazole, which cost just ₹100–200 per dose. The vials were resealed with labels and packaging that looked real.

Sellers then offered these fake injections at “discounted” prices of ₹90,000 to ₹1 lakh through pharmacies, online platforms, and personal networks, targeting desperate cancer patients.

A key accused, Neeraj Chauhan (38), acted as the main link. Police recovered dozens of filled and empty vials and packaging with real batch numbers from his Gurugram home. WhatsApp chats showed clear coordination, including messages about demand, batch numbers, and supply arrangements.

Hospitals Involved and Arrests Made

The racket spread across some of Delhi-NCR’s most well-known hospitals:

• Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre — two pharmacists were arrested
• Fortis Memorial Research Institute — one clinical pharmacist arrested
• Venkateshwar Hospital — nursing team leader arrested
• Links also found with Millennium Cancer Center

The Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested 12 people, including the alleged kingpin Viphil Jain. Some are out on bail, while others remain in custody. The Enforcement Directorate has also started a money-laundering investigation.

Officials matched the fake batch numbers with records of over 150 patients who had received genuine Keytruda in Delhi hospitals between September 2023 and March 2024.

The Human Cost: When Hope Turned Fatal

The promise of cheaper “original” medicine attracted families who were already struggling to pay for treatment.

Doctors at PGIMER prescribed Keytruda to a 56-year-old woman from near Chandigarh who was undergoing treatment for liver cancer. Her family bought 12 vials for about ₹16 lakh from a store offering a discount—but all of them were fake. They are still repaying loans and have stopped treatment.

In another case, a 38-year-old woman from Bihar received two fake injections bought online for ₹90,000 each while undergoing treatment at RGCIRC. Her condition worsened quickly, and she died on September 11, 2022. Her family only found out nearly two years later that the injections were fake.

So far, investigators have identified at least eight confirmed victims, including one death directly linked to these counterfeit drugs.

What the Company and Hospitals Said

Merck & Co (MSD) said hospitals are mainly responsible for safely handling used packaging and preventing misuse.

After the case came to light, hospitals claimed they had tightened safety measures. RGCIRC now prepares drugs in front of patient attendants, uses CCTV in chemotherapy areas, damages vial labels after use, and locks medical waste bins.

Fortis said it follows strict verification systems and proper waste disposal. Venkateshwar Hospital did not respond to questions.

What This Scandal Shows?

This is not just a black-market crime—it exposes how people inside trusted hospitals betray patients. Staff who see patients suffering every day choose profit over ethics and misuse a drug that many families see as their last hope.

The racket grew because cancer treatment in India is extremely expensive, forcing patients to look for cheaper options even when there are warning signs.

As of April 13, 2026, investigations are still ongoing. The Delhi Police and drug authorities are tracking more victims and supply chains.

For families battling cancer, this case is a harsh warning: when even hospital-linked medicines can be fake, the line between treatment and exploitation becomes dangerously thin.

The “magic” injection that promised longer life has, in many cases, brought only deception—and sometimes death.