The Center has withdrawn the well-known antacid salt Ranitidine from the list of critical medications due to fears that it may cause cancer. 26 drugs have been removed from the list. Ranitidine is frequently given for conditions linked to acidity and stomachaches and is widely available under the brand names Aciloc, Zinetac, and Rantac, among others.
The new National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), which covers 384 medications, was published on Tuesday by the Health Ministry. The government will no longer stock 26 medications that were removed from the list. Among the 26 drugs that are not permitted are:
1. Alteplase
2. Atenolol
3. Bleaching Powder
4. Capreomycin
5. Cetrimide
6. Chlorpheniramine
7. Diloxanide furoate
8. Dimercaprol
9. Erythromycin
10. Ethinylestradiol
11. Ethinylestradiol(A) Norethisterone (B)
12. Ganciclovir
13. Kanamycin
14. Lamivudine (A) + Nevirapine (B) + Stavudine (C)
15. Leflunomide
16. Methyldopa
17. Nicotinamide
18. Pegylated interferon alfa 2a, Pegylated interferon alfa 2b
19. Pentamidine
20. Prilocaine (A) + Lignocaine (B)
21. Procarbazine
22. Ranitidine
23. Rifabutin
24. Stavudine (A) + Lamivudine (B) 25. Sucralfate
26. White Petrolatum
The Health Ministry has addressed the specifics with the Drug Controller General of India and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) regarding pulling the salt out of the necessary supply as ranitidine is being scrutinized around the world due to cancer-related concerns.
Since the US Food and Drug Administration discovered a potentially cancer-causing contaminant in the salt in 2019, the salt has been the subject of investigations. In tests of medications containing ranitidine, drug authorities discovered ‘unacceptable amounts’ of the cancer-causing contaminant N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).
Back in 1988, Zantac was among the first medicines in the world whose yearly sales exceeded $1 billion. A number of highly sought-after medications, such as insulin glargine, delamanid, and ivermectin, as well as anti-tuberculosis medications are expected to see a decrease in price as a result of the new essential medicines list being published.
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