The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has asked the Health Ministry to disallow the use of rosiglitazone, which is an anti-diabetes drug and is commonly used in India for controlling the blood sugar levels.

It is a matter of great concern that many drugs that are banned in other countries continue to be used in India.

Rosiglitazone drug has been banned in Europe, after the European Medicines Agency raised concern over the increasing risk of heart attack among diabetes patients.

The drug regulators of the United States also say that this medicine should be used only when the patient is left with no other treatment option.

Drug experts say that the CDSCO passed the order without any official warning. Some drug controllers believe that the order was vague about the sale of the drug.

Bangalore and Mumbai drug controllers have asked the chemists’ associations to be alert in their states against the sale of this drug.

A doctor has said that stopping the sales of rosiglitazone all of a sudden will not give the diabetic patients enough time to go to their doctor to opt for alternative drugs to control diabetes.

In the year 2000, rosiglitazone was officially approved to be sold in India. It is marketed as a single drug or it can be sold with other anti-diabetes drugs like Metformin and Glibenclamide.