Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac

Health Ministry bans Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac  to protect vultures in the country

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Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had banned the use manufacturing, sale, and distribution of Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac to prevent the exploitation of vultures in the country. According to a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on July 31, 2023, the production, sale, and distribution of ‘ketoprofen’ and ‘aceclofenac’, along with their formulations, for animal use are prohibited under section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (23 of 40), where this ban was made by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB). Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which are frequently employed to relieve pain and inflammation in both humans and animals, but vultures and other raptor species consume treated carcasses, they have adverse effects on their health.

Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac banned

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had banned the use manufacturing, sale, and distribution of Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac to protect three Gyps species – Oriental white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus), which are endangered and conservative in the country. In the 89th meeting of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) said to press “Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac in cattle are equally toxic as Diclofenac and can kill vultures. Studies showed that Aceclofenac was rapidly metabolized to Diclofenac. Ketoprofen is toxic to Gyps vultures,”. Adding to the comment, the 2nd official said “Diclofenac was used as a pain killer in animals like cows and buffaloes. It used to create toxicity in them, subsequently, the drug was banned for animal use. Later, newer molecules appeared in the market in the form of Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac. These drugs are being irrationally used in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab and there is no regulation to stop the misuse of these drugs. Besides, there is no proper disposal mechanism for dead animals, and they are left in the open on the outskirts of villages. So, when these animals die, they are eaten by scavenger birds like vultures. We have seen that it increases the uric acid levels in vultures and they die due to kidney failure. This has created a lot of ecological imbalances,”

Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac banned by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB)

https://www.science.org/content/article/vulture-safe-zones-aim-rescue-vital-unloved-scavenger

Why is Aceclofenac banned in India?

Aceclofenac is banned in India to protect three Gyps species – the Oriental white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus), which are endangered species

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