The newly-constituted Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) is scheduled to meet here on June 24 and is expected to take up the issue of banning popular painkiller drug dextropropoxyphene, among other issues on agenda.

The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has already gathered inputs from the experts on the safety of the drug and a decision on banning the drug will be taken by the apex drug-related technical committee in its meeting. The experts are learnt to have reviewed whether the drug would be safe for human consumption. The report based on the recommendations would be presented to the DTAB, sources said.

Dextropropoxyphene is sold under popular brands like Proxyvon (Wockhart), Corbutyl (Sanofi), Parvon (Jagson Pal), Dexovon (USV) and Sudhinol (Ranbaxy). The drug is already banned in many countries including UK and US. It was alleged that the prolonged use of the drug could lead to addiction.

The Union health ministry had recently reconstituted the DTAB and it is going to be the first meeting of this highest-decision making body on the technical matters related to drugs. The term for the new body is for three years.

Sources said the DTAB is having the introductory meeting but, some issues including that of the painkiller are likely to be taken up for discussion. The DTAB, of which the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) is the ex-officio chairman, has 18 members including the DCGI.

Many other important issues like incorporating another schedule on antibiotics under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act are also pending for the consideration of the DTAB. The Ministry had already prepared the draft for the national antibiotics policy by inserting the Schedule and sent to the consideration of the Law Ministry.