Govt proposes to regulate stem cells as drugs; end shady medical practices

Over the past two decades, numerous hospitals and clinics have mushroomed around the country claiming to offer stem cell-based 'treatments'

New rules proposed by India’s health ministry promise to put an end to shady medical practitioners promising stem cell-based miracle cures to desperate patients, who have so far operated out of the ambit of the law.

The draft Drugs and Cosmetics (Amendment) Rules of 2018, issued for stakeholder consultation in April, seek to regulate stem cells as well as stem cell-based products as drugs, bringing them firmly under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940.

This means all clinical use of stem cells (for treatment) and their products