NEW DELHI: The license of a pharma manufacturer, who was selling a homeopathic medicine named ‘insulin,’ has been canceled, 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.
This newspaper was the first to flag the issue of a homeopathic 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 for coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and other vascular conditions.
The license 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 homeopathic medicine and how it could confuse diabetic patients into stopping the actual insulin and switching over to the homeopathic 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 labeling of the medicine as “insulin tablets” by the firm. He urged them to intervene to end the “misleading information.”
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 licensee has not submitted the application for the renewal of the license for the said product. Hence, the license for the said product is canceled.”
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 the management of diabetes mellitus type 1 and sometimes type 2, both of which are significant risk factors for coronary artery disease and stroke.
