NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

A week after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of certain compounds in antibacterial hand and body wash products, India’s Central Drug Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) is set to deliberate whether their use in India poses a public health hazard that requires a closer look, two CDSCO officials said on condition of anonymity.

The FDA ruled on 2 September that manufacturers had failed to show the efficacy of any of 19 active compounds that go into many over-the-counter consumer antiseptic washing products. As a result, the FDA banned the use of these 19 compounds, including triclosan and related triclocarban.

“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” said Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s centre for drug evaluation and research. “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long term.”

Manufacturers have been given a year to change formulations or pull their products from the market.