Three popular medicines have been banned by the government due to health risks associated with them. These are - anti-diabetes drug pioglitazone, painkiller analgin and anti-depressant deanxit.
The ministry of health and family welfare has suspended the manufacture and sale of all three drugs under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 with immediate effect, through a notification issued on June 18.
It is believed that pioglitazone can cause or worsen heart failure and increases the risk of bladder cancer, analgin has been discarded the world over on grounds of patient safety. Deanxit, has a harmful combination, which has been long banned even in Denmark, its country of origin.
Pioglitazone is sold as plain and in combination, as Pioz, Pioz MF, Gemer, Gluconorm PG, etc. Analgin is available as Novalgin, Baralgan, etc. Combination of Flupenthixol and Melitracen sold as Deanxit , Placida, Franxit , Restfull , etc is not sold in major countries, and has been banned now in India too.
Earlier this month, the ministry had suspended sale of dextropropoxyphene, sold as Wockhardt's Proxyvon, a widely-used pain-killer.