The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a draft notification proposing a ban on the import, manufacture, sale, and distribution of several antimicrobials and their formulations for use in animals, citing potential risks to human health. This notification was published on May 22, 2025.
The notification states that the Central Government is satisfied that the use of the listed antimicrobials in animals is likely to involve risks to humans and that safer alternatives are available for animal use. The decision to propose this prohibition is deemed necessary and expedient in the public interest.
The draft notification, issued after consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, lists a comprehensive range of antimicrobials, including antibiotics, antivirals, and antiprotozoals, that are proposed to be prohibited for animal use.
Antibiotics
The list of antibiotics proposed for the ban includes:
- Ureidopenicillins
- Ceftobiprole
- Ceftaroline
- Siderophore cephalosporins
- Carbapenems
- Penems
- Monobactams
- Glycopeptides
- Lipopeptides
- Oxazolidinones
- Fidaxomicin
- Plazomicin
- Glycylcyclines
- Eravacycline
- Omadacycline
Antivirals
The list of antivirals proposed for the ban includes:
- Amantadine
- Baloxavir marboxil
- Celgosivir
- Favipiravir
- Galidesivir
- Lactimidomycin
- Laninamivir
- Methisazone/ Metisazone
- Molnupiravir
- Nitazoxanide
- Oseltamivir
- Peramivir
- Ribavirin
- Rimantadine
- Tizoxanide
- Triazavirin
- Umifenovir
- Zanamivir
Antiprotozoal
The antiprotozoal proposed for the ban is Nitazoxanide.
The Ministry has invited objections and suggestions from all persons likely to be affected by this proposed ban. These can be submitted by June 21, 2022.
Objections and suggestions can be addressed to the Under Secretary (Drugs), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Room No. 545 A Wing, Nirman Bhavan, New Delhi -110011, or emailed to drugsdivmohfw@gov.in.
