NEW DELHI: The licence of a pharma manufacturer, who was selling a homoeopathic medicine, named ‘insulin,’ has been cancelled, said the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in an RTI reply.
Despite the directions from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) and the ayush ministry to the Rajasthan authorities to take action against the company for violating the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940, no action was taken.
The New Indian Express was the first to flag the issue of a homoeopathic medicine, named ‘insulin’, being sold. Insulin is a medication used in the management of diabetes mellitus type-1 and sometimes type-2, both of which are significant risk factors to coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and other vascular conditions.
The licence cancellation of Bharghava Phytolab has come as a victory for RTI activist Dr K V Babu, who had flagged the issue in January.
Dr Babu had written a letter to the DCGI about the homoeopathic medicine and how it could confuse diabetic patients into stopping the actual insulin and switching over to the homoeopathic tablet, thinking they are the same.
However, when the Rajasthan authorities continued to defy the directions of drug controllers, which had written thrice to them to take action against the company, and the ayush ministry, Babu wrote to the PMO on September 23 and highlighted the issue of illegal labelling of the medicine as “insulin tablets” by the firm. He urged them to intervene to end the “misleading info.”
In its response, the PMO on October 23 said, “The grievance submitted by the applicant is regarding the violation of Rule 106A (C) of Drug Rules, 1945 w.r.t. Insulin Tablets, Homeopathic proprietary medicine. In this regard, the matter has already been communicated to the Drugs Controller (Rajasthan), and a response has been received. It has stated that the manufacturing licencee has not submitted the application for the renewal of the licence for the said product. Hence, the licence for the said product is cancelled.”
An elated Dr Babu said, “My concern was that a tablet with the name insulin is available in the market, which may confuse the public, and they may switch from insulin injection to tablets. This would cause major health issues, especially among kids.
Inaction by authorities
Despite directions from DCGI and the ayush ministry to Rajasthan authorities to take action against the company for violating the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940, no action was taken. Insulin is a medication used in management of diabetes mellitus type-1 and sometimes type-2, both of which are significant risk factors to coronary artery disease, stroke.