A panel headed by Dr. R.A. Mashelkar, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), recommended in its report that Phase I clinical trials be allowed in India concurrently as they are being conducted abroad. Phase I clinical trials... Read More
The Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences released a proposal to the Indian government in the summer of 2003 to establish a system to regulate and supervise medical devices in the country. Currently, India does not have a regulatory body to... Read More
Drug-eluting stents (DES) are designed for the controlled release of drugs into surrounding tissue. These types of stents are particularly useful in preventing the re-narrowing of arterial walls, or restonosis, after cardiovascular procedures. This technology was recently introduced into the Indian medical... Read More
On August 29, 2003, a drugs pact backed by the United States was rejected by the World Trade Organization (WTO). The pact was meant to set limitations on the Doha declaration allowing poorer countries access to cheaper, generic medicines, including those covered... Read More
Indian drug manufacturers and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (IFPMA), which represents multinational, research-driven, pharmaceutical companies around the world, recently clashed over the production of counterfeit drugs in India. In late January 2003, IFPMA accused the Indian pharmaceutical industry of... Read More
As Asian countries begin to adopt more western lifestyles and foods, “western” diseases are becoming more prevalent killers in Asia. Economic transition, urbanization, and technological development have brought about lifestyle changes that have increased the chances for heart disease in Asia. Developing... Read More
No drug can be imported, manufactured, stocked, sold or distributed in India unless it meets the quality and other standards laid down in the Drug and Cosmetics Act 1940 (DCA). For patent or proprietary medicines (medicines not listed in the Indian or... Read More
A recent report by the accounting firm, Ernst & Young, finds an increase in the amount of investment by governments in the Asia-Pacific region in biotechnology. Besides investment incentives and tax breaks, governments have begun to nurture the fledgling industry with increased... Read More
India is the world’s second most populous country after China, with a total population of about 1 billion. While much of India is rural and poor (over 70 percent of the population lives in rural areas and the per capita income is... Read More
After India's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), consumer goods imports and free imports greatly increased, allowing the market to slowly open up to foreign investment and medical products. This article covers the major features of the market, law and policy... Read More