Indian regulators are accused of laxity in not banning drugs

doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7471.878-f

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Ganapati Mudur

New Delhi

Doctors and health activists in India have said that they would welcome a government ban on the arthritis drug rofecoxib but warned that there are other drugs withdrawn elsewhere in the world but still sold and prescribed in India.

They pointed out last week that Indian drug regulatory authorities have refused to ban the sale of 11 other drugs and over 80 combinations of drugs that have been discarded or have never been approved in many countries.

After the drug company Merck's recent announcement of the worldwide withdrawal of rofecoxib (Vioxx) (BMJ 2004;329:816, 9 October) Indian drug officials said that they would examine Indian data on adverse reactions to decide …