India Abandons 75-Year Old Drug/Device Legislation

Indian regulators have decided to abandon a proposed law that would have amended parts of India’s Drugs and Cosmetic Act of 1940, to pursue more extensive revisions to create a separate device regulation.

 India’s Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has already prepared separate rules for medical devices under the existing act, and has begun drafting separate laws for regulating medical devices, drugs and cosmetics. Draft legislation is expected later this year as the ministry continues to seek input from industry.

“This ushers in times of change and hopefully for the better,” said Rajiv Nath, forum coordinator for the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AIMED). He said that the association has long asked for separate regulations for devices.