India bans 328 drugs in setback for pharma firms

NEW DELHI: The Indian government has banned 328 combination drugs in a blow to both domestic and foreign pharmaceutical firms, but the ban has been cheered by health activists worried about growing antibiotic resistance due to the misuse of medicines.

The Indian government had in 2016 banned about 350 such drugs, referred to as fixed-dose combinations (FDCs), but the industry mounted various legal challenges that prompted the Supreme Court to call for a review by an advisory board.

The health ministry on Wednesday said the board had found there was "no therapeutic justification for the ingredients contained in 328 FDCs and that these FDCs may involve risk to human beings".