India To Ban Critical Veterinary Antibiotics to Fight Antimicrobial Resistance

The Union Health Ministry is moving to ban the import, manufacture, sale, and distribution of two groups of antibiotics for animal use: carboxypenicillins and phosphonic acid derivatives. This proposal, detailed in a draft notification, aims to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and align India's veterinary drug regulations with international safety standards. The ministry stated that the use of these specific antimicrobials in animals poses a risk to human health, noting that safer alternatives are already available for livestock and veterinary care. This regulatory shift follows a review by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB). During a session on April 24, 2025, the DTAB evaluated a request from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to prohibit 37 antimicrobials from veterinary use. The board discovered that none of these 37 drugs had been approved for animal use by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).