India has banned the popular painkiller nimesulide after scientific studies confirmed that the drug has toxic effects on vultures, an endangered species.

Nimesulide is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is widely used for the relief of pain and inflammation around the world and in India. According to research, it not only affects vultures but is also not suitable for humans.

In a gazette notification, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) – India’s official drug authority – said the central government has banned the use, manufacture, sale and distribution of all drug formulations containing nimesulide, which pose a risk to animals. It is likely to happen. ,

The ban was announced under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and after consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board and the Central Government.

Instead, CDSCO urged the use of safer alternatives to nimesulide drugs, which are widely available in the country.

Researchers at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute conducted an experiment on gypsy vultures by giving them small doses of nimesulide. The study found that veterinary use of nimesulide resulted in serious health problems, including kidney toxicity, and led to declines in vulture populations.

To protect vultures and other wildlife, authorities in India began restricting the use of nimesulide, especially in veterinary medicine. Due to this, this drug was eventually banned in the country.

Nimesulide is a type of pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that targets specific enzymes (COX-2). It is often used to treat pain and inflammation in dogs with osteoarthritis.

Apart from reducing pain, it also helps control inflammation by blocking certain immune responses and platelet activation. However, it should be used with caution in animals with liver or kidney problems and should be avoided in animals with low blood pressure.

In India, dead vultures with signs of intestinal arthritis have been linked to nimesulide, which was later confirmed to be toxic to vultures in experiments with captive birds.

Only two drugs, meloxicam and tolfenamic acid, have been proven safe for vultures, given the doses they can get in the wild.

A drug called diclofenac, similar to nimesulide, which was earlier banned, caused several animal diseases such as mastitis. Diclofenac caused kidney failure of the vultures and they died within a few days, with severe organ damage observed after death.

The drug was banned for veterinary use in India, Pakistan and Nepal in 2006, and in Bangladesh in 2010. These restrictions helped slow the decline of vultures and lead to partial recovery in Nepal.