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. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has challenged the Maharashtra government’s decision allowing homeopaths to prescribe allopathic medicines after six months of certified training, calling it a threat to public health. The IMA has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, urging an expedited resolution of the matter.
Source: bit.ly/4kl20ip

2. A government panel, the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) under CDSCO, has directed State Licensing Authorities not to issue manufacturing licenses for new drugs without prior approval from the Central Licensing Authority (CLA), as mandated by New Drugs Clinical Trial Rules 2019.
Source: bit.ly/3GC8A6l

3. India’s NITI Aayog has setup an expert panel to review quality concerns in India’s pharmaceutical manufacturing. It will assess regulatory gaps and challenges across 3,000 companies and 10,500 units. The goal is to align production with global standards, boost compliance, and ensure patient safety to uphold India’s global medicine supplier status.
Source: bit.ly/3GvWBHB

4. The Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) has recommended inclusion of detachable Braille cards and voice-enabled QR codes on medicine packaging to enhance accessibility for visually impaired patients. The proposal aims to standardize inclusive labeling across pharma products, aligning with patient-centric and accessibility-first regulatory reforms.
Source: bit.ly/3TttpUw

5. The Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) has approved amendments to Forms 27D/27DA and 28D/28DA under the Drugs Rules, 1945, enabling manufacturers to apply for licenses to produce stem cell-derived, gene therapy, xenograft, and modified-release products via both state and central authorities.
Source: bit.ly/3Ii5o0f

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. India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed to reduce the sample size of Vitamin D2 for analysis as it is an expensive ingredient. Earlier a sample of 500g was drawn for analysis, however now a sample of at least 50g is to be drawn i.e., two samples of 25g each, from the imported consignment and after the analysis, the remaining 25g should be returned to the importer making the sample collection process more cost-effective.
Source:  bit.ly/4gN4R2m

2. The Federation of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs (FOPE) has highlighted the growing concern of Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) drugs in India and has proposed critical changes to the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules thereby calling for the inclusion of temperature, humidity, and photosensitive drugs under Schedule P. This proposed inclusion aims to enforce stricter shelf-life regulations for these types of drugs, ensuring they are subject to rigorous stability studies to verify their quality and safety throughout their shelf life.
Source: bit.ly/49VvAYw

3. The Telangana pharmaceutical industry has raised several concerns with the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), seeking clarity on certain provisions in the Revised Schedule M. These concerns primarily revolve around discrepancies between mandatory requirements and the WHO guidelines, which are generally regarded as voluntary and non-binding. The industry has also raised concerns about the production of nutraceuticals in facilities that are primarily designed for pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Source: bit.ly/49R29Xs

4. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has given an extension to one of the leading manufacturer of drug for the continued manufacturing of two of its scheduled Tetanus formulations until December 31, 2025. This extension follows company’s submission of Form IV, requesting approval to discontinue these formulations. Under Para 3 of the Drugs (Price Control) Order (DPCO), 2013, the government has the authority to direct manufacturers of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), bulk drugs, or formulations to manufacture the drugs for adequate supply and accessibility of essential medicines.
Source: bit.ly/49TcdPC

5. The India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has introduced several significant changes to GST. Notably, gene therapy has been exempted from GST, and the decision on taxing restaurant services provided by electronic commerce operators at 5% has been deferred for further review. Additionally, the Council has clarified that caramel popcorn, due to its added sugar content, will attract a higher tax rate compared to salted or plain variants.
Source: bit.ly/3BFBNuT