Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) holds a meeting on July 24 under new DCGI. This is the first meeting one after the present Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) which Dr G N Singh took over a few months ago, with a slew of issues on the platter for discussion, says a Pharmabiz report.
Earlier the meeting was about to held sometime in June, was postponed to July 24 as some members expressed inability to attend it due to pre-occupied assignments. The final agenda for the meeting was still being worked out, Dr Singh informed.
The supreme Decision making body on the technical matters related to drugs is expected to set tone for a slew of reforms being planned in the regulatory sector, apart from taking up some of the key pending issues in the sector. Some of the issues on the hand are amendment to Drugs and Cosmetic Act, Schedule D and the Fixed Dose Combinations issue.
The DTAB was reconstituted one year back, is now meeting after a long gap which was held in October last year. The current meeting is anticipated to be important as it is the first meeting under Dr Singh, who is widely expected to be regularized as the DCGI very soon.
Dr Singh who has reiterated the mission of the CDSCO to safeguard and enhance the public health by assuring safety, efficacy and quality of drugs, cosmetics and medical devices, is planning to push a slew of reforms in the sector. The DTAB meeting will be first platform for discussing these reforms.
There are 18 members DTAB with a term of three years. Apart from Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) and the Director General of Health Services, other members include director of Central Drug Laboratory (Kolkatta) Dr P K Guha; director of Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli; director of Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly; president of Medical Council of India (MCI); president of Pharmacy Council of India (PCI); and director of Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow.
