India's 'poor drug-approval standards' under the scanner

A group of health activists, including Ranbaxy whistle blower Dinesh Thakur, have petitioned India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to ensure greater transparency in regulation, especially over clinical trials.

Citing a 2012 Parliamentary committee report on the functioning of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) which had highlighted serious lapses in India’s drug approval standards and the fact that the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved 33 drugs without any scientific evidence, the petition highlights how drug approvals in India have reached a slippery slope.

In some cases, despite these drugs being banned by foreign regulators, the Indian drug regulator has approved their sale in India.