Ban on Pioglitazone, an anti-diabetic medicine revoked in India
The Union Health Ministry had banned the sale
of Pioglitazone, an anti-diabetic medicine with a Rs. 830 crore market in India
last June (2013). However, the ban has been lifted after the recommendation of
an expert group.
Pioglitazone, an anti-diabetic medicine with
long-term risk will be sold with the warning on the package along with the
information booklet which lists risk of using the medicine.
Doctors in India would be advised to not to
prescribe Pioglitazone as a first-line drug against diabetes but to prescribe
as a second or third line medicine.
The ban was revoked as the Drug Technical
Board suggested to withdraw the ban after a section of doctors approached the
government with their personal experience.
India does not have any surveillance
mechanism to check what medicines doctors are prescribing and if a rational
drug use regime is being followed.
The annual sale of Pioglitazone products in
India is about 830 crores. The fixed dose combination (FDC) of Pioglitazone
with Metformin and Glimepiride is worth about Rs. 540 crore.
Another fixed dose combination of
Pioglitazone with Metformin and Glibenchlamide which is not permitted in the
developed world is worth Rs. 60 crores market in India.
For those who are keen to know more about Pioglitazone,
Wikipedia is a best friend.
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