The controversy has sparked reactions across states. The famous Mankameshwar temple in Uttar Pradesh has now banned offerings of 'prasad' bought by devotees from outside and said they can offer homemade 'prasad' or fruits.
As the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) is set to crack down on companies to ensure compliance with printing QR codes on top-selling brands to curb counterfeiting, top pharma companies say they welcome the regulator's mandate and that they are on track. They also view it as a positive step to ensure patient safety. Sheetal Arora, CEO of Mankind Pharmaceuticals, which has already adopted QR codes in 20 of their products, stated: "We strongly advocate for mandatory implementation of barcodes and QR codes on medicines as this initiative will not only protect patients but also strengthen the integrity of our healthcare system by reducing circulation of counterfeit drugs."
Written informed consent of each patient is required before the use of this drug, he said
A day after the Supreme Court rapped the Health Ministry for allowing Indians to be used as 'guinea pigs' in the conduct of drug trials, top sources told PTI that the rules meant to monitor clinical trials under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act would be notified within this month.
Despite a healthy performance in the fourth quarter of 2024-25 (Q4FY25), the stock of India's largest listed pharma company, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (Sun Pharma), was under pressure on Friday due to a muted guidance. The company has guided for a high single-digit revenue growth for FY26, which is below what the Street was working with.
The idea is to keep a close watch on real-time price movements, the maximum retail price of medicines and their availability.
Taarika Dave, holistic life coach and yoga expert at the Luke Coutinho Holistic Healing Systems, explains how you can improve your breathing using a few simple steps.
The move comes in the wake of many facilities of Ranbaxy in India being barred by the US Food and Drugs Administration for supplying medicines to the US.
European regulators have estimated that consumers are paying up to 20 per cent more for medicines in some cases.
In a decision that would impact the entire pharmaceutical industry, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed the prices of 130 common drugs and antibiotics.
Regulator says fee would enable it to quicken approval process.
Kenya's anti-doping agency says an Indian national was caught with "an illegal consignment of assorted performance enhancing substances" during a recent raid on prohibited drugs, conducted in collaboration with the country's Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Over 20 drug companies marketing anti-obesity drug sibutramine under a variety of brand names are likely to soon face a ban on selling the medicine.
This is apart from the requirement to stock hydroxychloroquine (200 mg) and Azithromycin (500 mg) tablets for patients requiring ICU management, asymptomatic healthcare workers and asymptomatic household contacts of positive cases.
Hospitals and blood banks can now only charge processing fees for blood as the apex drug regulator has decided to do away with all other fees to check the practice of overcharging.
The bench said, given the pressing nature of the crisis, particularly in cities like Kota, Jaipur, Sikar, Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad, and Delhi, where students migrate in large numbers, immediate interim safeguards are the call of the day.
The government proposes to cut custom duties on Trastuzumab Deruxtecan, Osimertinib and Durvalumab from 10 per cent to nil.
Indian pharmaceutical companies are stepping up their efforts to combat the problem of counterfeit drugs, employing a variety of strategies, from packaging innovations to engaging private investigation agencies. The stakes are high, as counterfeit medicines not only harm consumers but also tarnish the reputation of leading brands.
Since two cases against clinical trials started in SC, govt is overly cautious.
This move could cost $299 million a year for Indian pharma players.
In 2009, Ranbaxy had to recall about 4,000 cartons of Sotret Isotretinoin through its US-based subsidiary.
Niclosamide, a drug on the World Health Organisation's list of essential medicines, has been used to treat tapeworm infestation for more than 50 years. The oral antiviral drug was also used to treat patients during the SARS outbreak of 2003-04.
The company's Canadian subsidiary Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals -- Canada Inc has received final approval from TPD to manufacture and market Ran-Simvastatin tablets, the Gurgaon-headquartered pharma major said in a statement. The approval for Ran-Simvastatin tablets, which are used as a lipid metabolism regulator, is in the strength of 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 mg.
Hit by the new drug pricing policy and regulatory interventions, growth rate of the Rs 72,069-crore Indian pharmaceutical market has slowed down to 9.8 per cent in 2013 as compared to 16.6 per cent in 2012, says a report.
The World Health Organisation on Friday said that it is in touch with the Uzbek authorities about the reported deaths of 18 children after consuming contaminated cough syrup made by Noida-based Marion Biotech.
In 2025 alone, at least 50 suicides linked to online gambling losses have been reported across India. According to FIRs, the victims were addicted to betting, largely driven by cricket, rummy and poker.
According to a gazette notification of the draft rules published on June 5, a hospital or medical institution may import new drug for 'compassionate use for treatment of patients suffering from life threatening disease or disease causing serious permanent disability or disease requiring therapy for unmet medical need', which has not been permitted in the country, but under Phase-III clinical trial (human trial) in the country or abroad, by making an application to the Central Drug Regulator.
Germany's drug regulator has banned the sale of 80 generic medicines with immediate effect on the grounds that their clinical trials conducted by India's pharmaceutical research company GVK Biosciences were "insufficient".
The ED will probe if money earned from the illicit narcotics trade was laundered to create movable and immovable assets by the accused. The investigation will run parallel to the NCB probe, the sources said.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday said it has arrested Jaffer Sadiq, a Tamil Nadu-based alleged dealer of narcotics, in connection with an international drugs trafficking investigation case.
USFDA issues Form 483 with as many as 14 observations that could impact ongoing operations at Aurobindo's Pashamailaram facility in Hyderabad.
Commercial launch and supply to major government and private hospitals is expected in mid-June.
Altaf Ahmed Lal, country head of the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) in India, has quit and so have a few other key officials at the American drug regulator's India office.
'She didn't think she'd die. It was just a trend -- a video. But it took her away in seconds.'
'The deaths of the children in the Gambia would batter India's reputation as the developing world's pharmacy.'
In a major crackdown against the manufacture of substandard drugs, central and state regulators conducted joint inspections at 76 pharma companies and cancelled the licences of 18 of them for producing spurious and adulterated drugs, official sources said on Tuesday.
A large number of medical device-manufacturing units have been forced to move to Vietnam and Malaysia due to delays, inconsistent timelines, and a lack of transparency in licensing processes, according to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare.
.jpg)
In a letter to health minister Harsh Vardhan, the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, an industry body representing leading pharma companies, including Sun Pharma, Lupin, Dr Reddy's Labs, Cadila Health and Glenmark, stressed the need for an out-of-court settlement with health activists fighting for the rights of clinical trial participants.
There are just 1,500 drug inspectors responsible for more than 10,000 factories in India
India's healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors raised Rs 14,811 crore through initial public offerings (IPOs) in 2024, the largest since 2019, driven by strong domestic demand amid expanding global opportunities. According to data, key contributors to the record fundraising included Sai Life Sciences (Rs 3,043 crore), IKS Health (Rs 2,498 crore), and Sagility India (Rs 2,107 crore).
