India’s drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), has invited public feedback on a growing industry practice: pharmaceutical companies marketing several distinct drug formulations under one recognizable brand name, distinguished only by suffixes or extensions.
The issue surfaced after the Directorate General of Health Services received complaints alleging that at least one manufacturer had launched multiple products carrying different active ingredients under a shared parent brand. Regulators worry this branding approach could confuse patients and even prescribers, who may assume products share therapeutic properties simply because they share a name.
The matter was taken up during a Drugs Consultative Committee session held in November last year. Rather than issuing an immediate directive, the panel called for broader stakeholder input before finalizing its position.
Comments from pharmaceutical companies, healthcare professionals, and other interested parties are now being accepted via the enforcement division’s official email, with a submission deadline of July 17, 2026.
Written By: Sayan Das
Graphics by: Pramit Hazra
