Drugs

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said 10,000 new recruitments in the police will be made to root out drugs, as he highlighted the state's fight against the drug menace. Speaking at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Academy, Phillaur, after honouring police officers, he said police have full freedom to take every legitimate action against drugs and directed them to go to villages and towns, take people along and crack down on the menace. He said 'Yudh Nashean Virudh' has now become a mass awareness movement across Punjab, while the police force will soon get 450 ASIs and 3,400 police personnel. The state government is expanding and modernising the police force, he said, adding that "We are directly recruiting 450 ASIs. Around 3,400 recruits are currently undergoing training, while 10,000 additional police posts are proposed to be advertised in the coming financial year." "This is a historic initiative through which I, along with the Director General of Police, am directly engagin

The Drugs Consultative Committee has sought a detailed proposal from Rajasthan amid concerns that machinery from closed pharma units could be used to make spurious drugs

The Drugs Consultative Committee has sought the DGHS opinion and data on Merbromin's manufacture and use before deciding on its continued inclusion under Schedule K

From 20-year patent protection to government use and compulsory licensing, here's how India regulates drug patents and what the law allows when access to medicines becomes a public concern

Drug regulator asks healthcare professionals and pharmacists to discourage indiscriminate use of NSAIDs and antibiotics, citing risks of kidney damage and CKD

The company is racing ​to reassure markets that ​it can navigate patent expirations for semaglutide - the active ingredient in its anti-obesity ​drugs Ozempic and Wegovy franchises, in the early 2030s

The top 10 in August included Sun Pharma, Cipla, Abbott, Mankind Pharma, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Alkem Laboratories, Intas Pharmaceuticals, Lupin, Zydus Lifesciences and Dr Reddy's Laboratories

Drug regulator proposes prominent age warning and pictorial label on cough syrups; the move comes after continued concerns over use of such medicines in very young children

Draft rules require CCTV surveillance for prescription drug sales at licensed premises and mandate that recordings be preserved for a minimum period of three months

CDSCO expert panel grants waiver for 920 mg Ocrelizumab, subject to Roche conducting a Phase 4 clinical trial in the Indian population for proposed indications

Drug major Cipla Ltd on Thursday said its wholly owned subsidiary, Invagen Pharmaceuticals Inc, has entered into a strategic partnership with Qilu Pharmaceutical for the licensing and supply of a biosimilar to the cancer drug Keytruda in the United States. The product, QL2107, is a biosimilar to pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and aims to improve access to advanced therapies for cancer patients while lowering treatment costs, Cipla said in a regulatory filing. Under the agreement, Qilu will be responsible for the development, regulatory registration, and supply of the product, while Cipla will leverage its commercial presence to market the asset in the US. "This partnership reflects Cipla's confidence in the long-term potential of biosimilars and supports our strategy to build a strong oncology-focused portfolio," said Achin Gupta, Managing Director and Global Chief Executive Officer, Cipla. Hanchang Zhang, General Manager of Qilu Pharmaceutical, said, "We are pleased to establish this ..

The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday approved a policy aimed at eradicating drugs from the state by 2029 through extensive public awareness and strict action against narcotics with the participation of all departments. Maharashtra is the first state in the country to undertake such a comprehensive campaign, involving coordination among various departments, to create a drug-free state, a statement issued by the government said. Under the policy, strict action will be taken against the cultivation of crops that contribute to the production of illegal drugs, as well as the production, transportation, sale and consumption of natural and synthetic drugs. "The policy will focus on extensive public awareness and strict action against drugs, with the participation of all departments of the state government. To ensure the successful implementation of this comprehensive policy, responsibilities have been assigned from the village level to the district, divisional and ministerial levels," the ..

A "Peptide Party", scheduled for Saturday in Bengaluru, has been cancelled following a notice issued to the organisers of the event by the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration Department seeking details about the event, officials said. The cancellation came a day after the FSDA sought detailed information from the organisers of the event on peptide preparations, including their composition, manufacturers, regulatory status, dosage and intended use, they said. Officials said that the proposed event was being publicised as an invite-only event featuring "peptide tastings", music, food and networking, as cited in their social media posts. Peptide parties are informal, invite-only social gatherings where biohackers, wellness enthusiasts, and fitness influencers meet to discuss, sample, or promote peptide-based products. The department has also issued an advisory to the general public regarding the "Peptide Party" event, originally scheduled to take place on August 29, in ...

Doctors call the pickup largely seasonal and say most H3N2 and H1N1 cases are being treated at home, with hospitalisations remaining limited so far

In a significant step to safeguard the health and safety of young children, the government has imposed restrictions on the manufacture, sale and distribution of all fixed dose combinations containing Chlorpheniramine Maleate and Phenylephrine Hydrochloride, mandating a clear warning that these medicines shall not be used in children below four years of age. Earlier, vide a notification dated April 15, 2025, the government had restricted certain fixed dose combinations (FDCs) containing the two chemical compounds, subject to the same age-specific warning. The latest notification extends this requirement to all formulations containing these two ingredients. The decision followed recommendations by an expert committee and the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB). The government noted that the use of such combinations may pose risks to children below four years of age and that safer alternatives are available. Manufacturers have been directed to clearly display the warning "Fixed Do

Move follows expert concerns over potential misuse and intoxication; retailers will have to maintain detailed sales records for the four CNS medicines under Schedule H1

FIP has also proposed oral-fluid testing alongside urine tests and a 12-month pilot programme to assess its reliability, operational feasibility and cost

Thailand has become the second country after the US to approve Dr Reddy's first-in-class antibiotic zoliflodacin, a milestone that could accelerate access to the drug across emerging markets

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has barred the sale and distribution of some medicines manufactured by Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd and seized stock worth about Rs 2.45 crore across the state over branding similarities despite having different active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), officials said on Saturday. The order is linked to Aciloc 150, Aciloc 150 Plus, Aciloc 300 and Aciloc 300 Plus, which have Ranitidine and Famotidine as APIs, they said. The FDA has directed the company to immediately recall all available stocks of Aciloc 150, Aciloc 150 Plus, Aciloc 300 and Aciloc 300 Plus from the market over concerns that such branding could lead to medication errors. It has also barred the sale of Aciloc 150 Plus and Aciloc 300 Plus. "Any confusion caused by a medicine's brand name that could result in doctors, pharmacists or patients receiving the wrong drug is a serious public health concern," FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said in a statement. He said complianc

Oral drug formulations containing over 12 per cent ethyl alcohol will require prescriptions and licensed retail sale under new rules aimed at curbing misuse and hoarding