This popular heartburn drug is banned in US but widely sold in India. Why?

Popular heartburn drug Ranitidine, long under scrutiny, will continue to be available in India as the government confirmed it had no plans to ban its manufacture or sale. The government had informed Rajya Sabha earlier this month that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, India's drug regulatory body, had taken steps to address safety concerns regarding the presence of N-nitrosodimethylamine, a potentially harmful impurity in Ranitidine. While Ranitidine is now banned in the US, Europe, Australia and other countries, it is widely sold in India under brand names like Aciloc, Rantac and Zinetac. According to Dr Anil Arora, Chairperson, Institute of Liver Gastroenterology & Pancreatico Biliary Sciences, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Ranitidine is a time-tested drug that has also been used as an adjunct therapy in patients taking long-term aspirin and other painkillers like NSAIDs to protect the stomach lining from the deleterious effects of these drugs. Prolonged exposure to high levels of NDMA is associated with cancer risks, making it a potential public health concern," Dr Baswantrao Mallipatil, Consultant, Medical Oncologist, Manipal Hospital, told India Today Digital.