The government has decided to revamp the drug regulatory structure in the country and set up an independent authority on the lines of US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for quality control of drugs.Once the regulatory body is put in place, the government would approach the USFDA for an agreement on mutual approval of clinical trials and drugs, unioin health minister Anubami Ramdoss announced at the 36th meeting of the drugs consultative committee today."The independent drug regulatory authority would be set up in two years. All the strong points of USFDA would be replicated in the new structure," he said.The minister had visited the US recently, and the Drug Controller General of India was to leave for the country soon in this connection.The proposed structure, which will be called Central Drug Administration or National Drug Authority, would have ten different sub-authorities to deal with areas like cosmetics, blood safety, medical equipment, bilogical products and recombinant products, the minister said.
