TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS & POLICY UPADATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. The Government of India has notified the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Second Amendment Rules, 2025, effective 1 February 2026. The amendment removes pan masala from an earlier exemption, mandating that all pan masala packages, regardless of size, must fully comply with the standard declaration requirements prescribed under the rules.
Source: h7.cl/1kzQU

2. Central Pollution Control Board has issued a notice allowing plastic packaging producers, importers, and brand owners facing a shortage of Cat II/III recycling certificates to use End-of-Life (EOL) certificates to meet their FY 2024–25 recycling obligations. Now, 1 ton of Cat II/III recycling obligation can be fulfilled using 1.5 tons of EOL certificates.
Source: h7.cl/1kzQI

3. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued draft guidance reducing or eliminating the requirement for non human primate toxicity testing for certain monoclonal-antibody therapies. This change may shorten preclinical timelines and lower costs, while promoting alternative safety evaluation methods.
Source: h7.cl/1fEU5

4. India’s drug regulator has been alerted that fake versions of widely used medicines may be circulating after Puducherry officials seized several suspected counterfeit samples. States and Union Territories have also been asked to maintain “strict vigil” on the movement of these batches of widely popular medicines.
Source: h7.cl/1kw0M

5. The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Union Government on a petition seeking a statutory framework for criminal prosecution in medical negligence cases. The plea highlights that no rules have been created despite the Jacob Mathew judgment in 2005 and urges independent, multi-stakeholder inquiry panels to ensure fair, unbiased investigations.
Source: h7.cl/1fETM

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. Use of artificial yellow food coloring ‘Tartrazine’ in food items like moong dal is not food adulteration as ‘Tartrazine’ is a permitted food coloring under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules, 1955; India’s Supreme Court.
Source: bit.ly/4718Tk4

2. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has withdrawn the clarification for selling / marketing of milk and milk products in the name of A1 & A2 for further consultation. Previously, FSSAI had clarified that it is misleading to differentiate milk and milk products on whether they are made from A1 milk or A2 milk and had thereby directed to remove such claims from such products including e-commerce websites.
Source: bit.ly/4778axU

3. Retail prices to be reportedly reduced by 50% of anti-diabetic drug Empagliflozin, which is expected to go off patent in March 2025 under Drugs Price Control Order, 2013.
Source: bit.ly/470IFxW

4. Indian Pharmaceutical Industry has urged to amend and delete the term “retailer” from the definition of dealer under Drugs Price Control Order, 2013 (DPCO). Manufacturers and importers are required to furnish price list to dealers. The inclusion of ‘retailer’ within the definition of ‘dealer’ has led to confusion over the extent of this obligation, potentially extending the manufacturer’s and importer’s liability beyond wholesalers to include retailers as well. If approved, Retailers, who typically interact with consumers directly, would be excluded from the manufacturer’s direct regulatory responsibilities, thereby allowing the focus to remain on the wholesale distribution channel.
Source: bit.ly/3ABX4Vs

5. QR Codes / Bar Codes may reportedly be made mandatory for vaccines, cancer drugs and antibiotics to validate the authenticity of drugs and prevent the supply of counterfeits.
Source: bit.ly/475pDGH