Health · Healthcare & Policy · 2 hrs ago
Delhi High Court seeks replies on Ranitidine safety review delay
The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre and drug authorities to respond to a petition seeking a deadline for India’s safety review of Ranitidine.
The medicine is commonly used to treat acidity and reduce stomach acid.
The petition says concern grew in 2019 after foreign regulators were alerted to NDMA, a chemical considered a probable human carcinogen, in products containing Ranitidine.
It says other countries took regulatory action, but India has not made a final public decision after years of review.
The petition says a committee and an Indian Council of Medical Research study were assigned in 2025, but the study report was still awaited in October 2026.
The court has not ruled on the safety of the medicine; the case is due to be heard again in February.
The Delhi High Court issued notice on a petition seeking a deadline for India’s pending safety review of Ranitidine.
The court sought responses from the Centre and three drug and health bodies.
The petition alleges that India has not issued a final, public decision on the drug’s safety.
The review concerns alerts about NDMA, a probable human carcinogen, in products containing Ranitidine.
The matter is scheduled to be heard next in February.
- Who
- The Delhi High Court, on a petition filed by advocate Chandresh Jain.
- What
- The court sought responses on a plea to complete the pending Ranitidine safety review within a stipulated time.
- When
- The court issued notice on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. The matter is next scheduled for February.
- Where
- Delhi, India.
- Why
- The petition says the safety review remains unresolved after alerts about NDMA in Ranitidine products and seeks a decision within a set timeframe.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Foreign drug regulators were alerted to the presence of NDMA in products containing Ranitidine.
The Drugs Technical Advisory Board referred the matter to a further committee and an ICMR study.
The Union government set a three-month deadline for submitting the report.
The report deadline expired, according to the petition.
CDSCO said the report was awaited and the matter remained under review.
The Delhi High Court issued notice on the petition.
- Petitioner
- Chandresh Jain, an advocate
- Drug under review
- Ranitidine
- Safety concern
- NDMA, described in the petition as a probable human carcinogen
- Report deadline
- Three months after July 24, 2025
- Next hearing
- February
What people are saying
The medicine is cheap, widely available and often bought without a prescription, so the people who bear the burden of an unresolved question are largely those least able to find or pay for other care.