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Informist, Tuesday, Mar. 17, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – The Delhi High Court Tuesday issued notices to the Drugs Controller General of India Rajeev Raghuvanshi on a contempt petition alleging that the latter had yet not taken a decision to examine the issues of misuse of diabetes drugs like Ozempic for weight loss. Seeking a reply from the government as well, the high court listed the plea filed by Jitendra Chouksey--the chief executive office of Pune-based healthtech startup Fittr--against the controller general for May 21.

 

Last year, the petitioner had approached the court raising issues and concerns relating to approval of certain drug combinations which were being sold in the market for weight loss treatment. According to the petitioner, the licences for use and sale of these drugs have been issued without adequate data and India specific trials and studies.

 

In India, these drugs were being promoted as "quick-fix" weight-loss solutions, including by gyms and clinics. The petitioner, in his petition, had warned of serious health risks that may accompany the unchecked use of such drugs, including pancreatitis, thyroid cancer, cardiovascular complications and neurological effects.

 

In July, the high court had asked the petitioner to approach the Drugs Controller General of India by way of making an additional representation bringing to his notice the material and documents submitted in his petition. The court had asked the Drugs Controller General of India to take a decision on the representation to be preferred by the petitioner for misuse of drugs used for weight loss, within three months.

 

However, no formal decision was taken by the controller general within the three-month period prescribed by the court, said the petitioner. Consequently, the petitioner filed a contempt of court petition over the failure of the controller general to act on the high court order.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

 

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