Panel to review ban on analgin

Contrary to the recommendation of the Drug Technical Advisory Board ( DTAB), government’s chief advisory body on drugsthat advised for revoking ban from popular painkiller analgin, the Union health ministry is considering to form an expert group to review the recommendation.

“Though the DTAB has recommended to revoke the ban from analgin. We are considering to form an expert group to review the suggestion. We will have to see where all the drug is banned and on what pretext… the recommendation needs a detailed review,” sources in the ministry disclosed.

The DTAB, sources disclosed, had suggested to revoke the ban from analgin as there was not much evidence suggesting its adverse effects. “Analgin is a second line drug and is taken occasionally. So far it has not been banned in any other country except France. The experts opined that there was not much evidence suggesting its bad effects on the human body therefore it was decided to revoke the ban”.

The government had in June suspended the drug in wake of possible health risks associated with it. Calling the continued marketing of analgin ( which is otherwise discarded world over) as a matter of grave concern, even the parliamentary committee in their recent report asked the Union health ministry to examine the issue within one month. “Analgin is not listed in the National list of Essential Medicines, bureaucratic delays, repetitive references from one committee to another can do nothing but hurt patients,” the committee had said.

The issue of rationality and continued marketing of analgin was raised by the committee earlier last year. Following which the Drug Controller General of India ( DCGI) had issued letters the state Drug Controllers suggesting them to direct the manufacturers of analgin formulations to market the drug mentioning the indications in the package and by inserting promotional literature of Analgin formulation.

Nothwithstanding, the committee felt that it was itself an act of negligence.