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Banned medicines in India

Which drugs and combinations are banned, which batches failed a lab test, and which "banned" stories are just rumours. Every answer links to the CDSCO order, gazette notice or court ruling behind it.

People ask about:Dolo 650NimesulideColdrifTelma AM
A pharmacist reaching for medicines on tall wooden shelves in Varanasi

Numbers

683
bans in force (1,080 entries in all)
6,956
batches that failed a lab test
49
suspected fake batches
330
batches in the Sep 2026 alert

Latest updates

New orders, court rulings and enforcement on medicines, newest first.

All updates
  1. Banned

    Is Cheston Cold banned in India?

    PharmEasy's 'Cheston Cold New Formula' listing still shows the three banned ingredients, out of stock.

  2. Stayed

    Is Dart tablet banned in India?

    Apollo Pharmacy lists both Dart (with propyphenazone) and Dart New (paracetamol + caffeine), both from Juggat Pharma.

  3. Restricted

    Cough syrup rules in India (2026)

    DCGI letter to states: test each batch of raw materials and finished product, buy excipients from qualified vendors (reported 28 Oct)

  4. Not banned

    Is Telma-AM banned in India?

    Reported: Glenmark confirms the seized tablets are counterfeit; court grants bail to two accused, noting no FSL report in the chargesheet.

  5. Halted

    Riemann Labs (Indore, Madhya Pradesh): Naturcold

    CDSCO's September 2026 NSQ list names a Riemann Labs diphenhydramine + ammonium chloride + sodium citrate + menthol syrup, batch 26007, failing the menthol assay.

  6. Not banned

    Is Vicks Action 500 banned in India?

    September 2026 NSQ list names a generic paracetamol + phenylephrine + caffeine + diphenhydramine batch (Durgaji Healthcare, DHPLT/030725)

Is it banned? The medicines people ask about

84 entries, each linked to the order it comes from.

Banned
Nimesulide: Banned above 100 mg (oral)

Is Nimesulide banned in India?

Oral nimesulide above 100 mg has been banned for adults in India since 29 Dec 2025; 100 mg tablets and topical gels remain legal, and use in children under 12 has been banned since 2011.

  • Status: Banned above 100 mg (oral)
  • Who decided: CDSCO / Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • Latest step: 29 Dec 2025: S.O. 6091(E) under Section 26A: oral nimesulide above 100 mg banned for adults
  • Reference: S.O. 6091(E), 29 Dec 2025 (Section 26A)
  • What to do: Check the strength on the strip
Read the full entry
Stayed
Saridon: On sale · Supreme Court relief

Is Saridon banned in India?

Saridon is not banned in India: it was in the 2018 ban (S.O. 4689(E)), but the Supreme Court allowed it back on sale in Sept 2018 and, per Piramal, exempted it in Feb 2019.

  • Status: On sale · Supreme Court relief
  • Who decided: CDSCO / Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Supreme Court of India
  • Latest step: 21 Feb 2019: Piramal announces the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Saridon; reported as an exemption from the banned list
  • Reference: S.O. 4689(E), 7 Sep 2018; Supreme Court relief from 17 Sep 2018; CDSCO's list cites a Supreme Court order dated 14.02.2019 (claimed pre-1988, under examination with an expert committee)
  • What to do: Nothing changes at the counter
Read the full entry
Not banned
Meftal-Spas: Not banned

Is Meftal-Spas banned in India?

Meftal-Spas is not banned in India as of 1 Oct 2026; no notification names mefenamic acid + dicyclomine, and the April 2025 CDSCO halt covered a different drotaverine + mefenamic acid + paracetamol combination.

  • Status: Not banned
  • Who decided: CDSCO / Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • Latest step: 11 Apr 2025: CDSCO halts 35 unapproved FDCs; Meftal-Spas not among them
  • Reference: No Section 26A notification for mefenamic acid + dicyclomine
  • What to do: You can keep using it as prescribed
Read the full entry
Not banned
Dolo 650: Not banned

Is Dolo 650 banned in India?

Dolo 650 is not banned in India as of 1 Oct 2026; no Section 26A notification covers paracetamol tablets, and the brand remains licensed to Micro Labs.

  • Status: Not banned
  • Who decided: CDSCO / Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • Latest step: 2 Aug 2024: 156-FDC ban includes paracetamol combinations, not paracetamol alone
  • Reference: No Section 26A notification for paracetamol
  • What to do: Keep using it as directed
Read the full entry
Banned

Is Corex banned in India?

CPM + codeine formula banned (2023)

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Banned

Is Phensedyl banned in India?

CPM + codeine formula banned (2023)

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Not banned

Is Ranitidine banned in India?

Not banned · under DTAB review

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Not banned

Is Zerodol-P banned in India?

Not banned · paediatric strength banned

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Not banned

Is Vicks Action 500 banned in India?

Advanced on sale · Extra withdrawn (2016)

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Not banned

Is Telma-AM banned in India?

Not banned · spurious batches reported

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Not banned

Is Pan-D banned in India?

Not banned · spurious batches reported

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Not banned

Is Combiflam banned in India?

Not banned · old NSQ batches (2016 to 2017)

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Cleared

Is Analgin banned in India?

Ban revoked

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Quashed

Is Deanxit banned in India?

Ban set aside by HC · sub judice

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Cleared

Is Pioglitazone banned in India?

Ban revoked

Read the answer
Not banned

Is Crocin banned in India?

Not banned

Read the answer
Show all 84 medicines
Cipla licence cancelledcough syrup ban for childrenAcilocAllegraAlprazolamAmoxicillin + SerratiopeptidaseAnalginAscorilAugmentinAvilAzithral 500AzithromycinBenadrylCalpolCefiximeCheston ColdChymoral ForteClavam 625ColdactCombiflamCorexCorex DXCrocinCyclopamD'Cold TotalDartDeanxitDextromethorphanDiclofenacDigeneDisprinDolo 650DomperidoneDrotinEnoGatifloxacinGliclazide + Chromium picolinatei-PillLevocetLindaneLoperamideMeftalMeftal-SpasMetforminMontair-LCNeurobionNimesulide + ParacetamolNimesulideOfloxacin + OrnidazoleOmezOxytocinPan-DPantopPhenerganPhensedylPioglitazonePiritonPovidone-iodinePregabalinRanitidineRantacSaridonSerratiopeptidaseShelcal 500SinarestSolvin ColdSpasmo-ProxyvonT-MinicTelma 40TelmaTelma-AMTelma-HCondomMercury thermometerTramadolUltracetVicks Action 500Vicks VapoRubWikorylZerodol-PZerodol-SPZincovitZinetacCetirizine

Most searched

The questions people search for most. Each answer links to its source.

Is tramadol or Ultracet banned?Is Ultracet banned?Cheston Cold ban (Aug 2024)Is Disprin banned?Why Saridon was bannedWhy Vicks Action 500 was bannedWhy Dart tablet was bannedIs Sinarest banned?Is Dolo 650 banned?

Browse the record

The banned drugs list

1,080 notifications since 1983, with gazette numbers, court stays and a CSV download.

Open the list

Check a batch number

Match the batch on your strip against every failed batch on record. Free, no login.

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Monthly lab alerts

Every CDSCO "not of standard quality" alert since Jan 2019, by product, maker and lab.

See the alerts

Fake medicines

What "spurious" means in law and every batch CDSCO has flagged as a suspected fake.

See the list

WHO alerts about Indian makers

Global alerts that name Indian manufacturers, 2022 to 2026, and what happened at home.

See the alerts

Medical devices

CDSCO's device alerts since 2014 and the syringes, IV sets and dressings that failed lab tests.

See the devices

Cough syrup cases

Coldrif, Sresan, Marion Biotech and Maiden: the timelines, the orders and where each case stands now.

Read the cases

By ingredient

Look up the active ingredient printed on the pack.

All ingredients
Paracetamol · 548Vitamin D3 · 269Amoxicillin · 228Telmisartan · 213Pantoprazole · 201Folic acid · 197Guaifenesin · 182Clavulanic acid · 178Ambroxol · 178Rabeprazole · 171Levocetirizine · 149Domperidone · 142Iron · 141Menthol · 136Diclofenac · 134Albendazole · 129Aceclofenac · 127Chlorpheniramine · 122

By type of medicine

Painkillers & NSAIDsCough, cold & allergyAntibiotics & anti-infectivesDiabetesDigestive & antispasmodicHeart & blood pressureSkin & hairEye & earVitamins & supplementsOther

Latest lab alert: September 2026

42 batches failed at central labs and 288 at state labs. First rows below.

Full Sep 2026 table
Product Batch Manufacturer Reason declared NSQ Tested by
surgical Gauze & Bandage Cloth Batch 02Mfg Apr 2026 · Exp Mar 2029 Sri Sandana Magalingam Textiles Threads - ends, Picks, Mass, Length, widthOther Drug Testing Laboratory, Chennai-6State lab
Zinc Sulphate Dispersible Tablets IP 20 mg Batch 3C0635Mfg May 2026 · Exp Apr 2028 Deep PharmaGujarat DescriptionDescription FDL, VadodaraState lab
XTPARA MF 100Suspension Batch MFBL25006Mfg Jun 2025 · Exp May 2027 Prosperity Drugs Pvt. LtdHimachal Pradesh Suspension does not dispose uniformly on shaking - DescriptionDescription DTL Jabalpur Madhya PradeshState lab
X-ray Detectble Labarotomy Sponges IS 10829 Batch 05Mfg Jun 2026 · Exp May 2029 Sri Sandana Magalingam Textiles Threads per stated length-ends per dm and picks per dmOther Drug Testing Laboratory, Chennai-6State lab
Vitamin D3 Oral Solution Batch GBL26312Mfg Jul 2026 · Exp Dec 2027 Gats Biotech Pvt. Ltd The sample does not conform to declared formula, in respect Identity test for Cholecalciferol, hence spuriousSpurious LUCKNOW, Uttar PradeshState lab
Vitamin C Tablets IP 500mg Batch 501024-BG197Mfg Oct 2024 · Exp Sep 2026 Biogenetic Drugs Pvt. LtdHimachal Pradesh Almost all the tablets received for analysis shows brown-colored spots all over the surface of the tablets, when observed in normal daylight conditions with unaided eyes.Description FDAL, MumbaiState lab

Makers with the most failed batches

All records
ManufacturerStateFailed batchesLatest
Unicure India LtdUttarakhand97Sep 2026
Jackson Laboratories Pvt. LtdPunjab84Sep 2026
Martin & Brown Bio- Sciences Pvt.LtdHimachal Pradesh71Aug 2026
Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals LtdKarnataka52Jan 2026
Zee Laboratories LtdHimachal Pradesh52Jun 2026
Apple Formulations Pvt. LtdUttarakhand49Jul 2026
Gidsha PharmaceuticalsGujarat42Apr 2026
Mascot Health Series Pvt. LtdUttarakhand40Jun 2026

Plain-language guides

What "not of standard quality" means

How a drug gets banned in India

How to check a medicine is genuine

Cough syrup deaths, 2022 to 2025

Alert archive

2026
Jan218Feb217Mar190Apr121May162Jun193Jul239Aug220Sep330
2025
Jan145Feb103Mar131Apr196May188Jun184Jul143Aug94Sep112Oct211Nov216Dec175
2024
Jan46Feb58Mar59Apr55May52Jun61Jul70Aug64Sep71Oct93Nov113Dec135

All years