The Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) has not banned lindane, a topical drug prescribed as a second-line option for scabies and lice infestation, despite earlier restriction of its use in agriculture by the Ministry of Agriculture and worldwide environmental issues. But the Board has suggested releasing guidelines for safe disposal of the product at all levels.

Key highlights

DTAB keeps market approval for Lindane

• At its 92nd meeting, DTAB decided that lindane is still a low-cost and effective second-line treatment for lice and scabies.

• The board suggested going on with marketing, but also suggested that proper disposal directions be incorporated on the product label.

MoAFW ban only applies to agriculture

• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW) prohibited the agricultural application of lindane in 2011, which came into effect in 2013.

• DTAB made it clear that this ban does not apply to medicinal use, which is allowed under international treaties such as the Stockholm Convention.

Stockholm convention permits medical use

• Lindane was included in the list of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) prohibited under the Stockholm Convention in 2009 due to environmental toxicity.

• It still permits medical exemptions, especially for application as a second-line drug against ectoparasitic infestations.

WHO and global regulatory status

• As per the World Health Organization, lindane has been in use since the 1950s for both agricultural and non-agricultural purposes.

• It is prohibited or restricted in many countries such as Japan (since 1971) and the United States, which controls its pharmaceutical-grade purity.

Although global environmental regulations have eliminated lindane from agricultural use, India's senior drug advisory body has maintained therapeutic use under physician supervision. With new guidelines to be issued on safe disposal, the regulatory strategy weighs patient requirements against environmental responsibility.