CDSCO Seeks Feedback on Brand Extension Policy
The CDSCO brand name extensions consultation has opened for public comments as the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) reviews the pharmaceutical industry’s practice of marketing different formulations under a common brand name. The Directorate General of Health Services issued the public notice on July 6, 2026, inviting stakeholders to submit their views by July 17, 2026. The initiative follows discussions before the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) and aims to reduce consumer confusion while improving medication safety.
Regulatory Notice Follows DCC Deliberations
The CDSCO launched the consultation after reviewing a representation submitted to the Drugs Consultative Committee on November 17, 2025. The representation highlighted how pharmaceutical companies market distinct therapeutic formulations under a common umbrella brand with minor extensions.
Moreover, public health experts and legal scholars, including Prashant Reddy T., Dinesh S. Thakur, Murali Neelakantan, Parth Sharma, and Ashish Kulkarni, have repeatedly warned that this practice creates avoidable risks for patients and healthcare professionals.
Identical Brand Names Continue to Create Safety Risks
The CDSCO seeks to address a long-standing regulatory gap involving identical brand names for different medicines. In many cases, unrelated pharmaceutical companies use the same trademark for entirely different chemical formulations.
For example, separate companies market “Linamac” for Lenalidomide, an oncology medicine, and Linagliptin, an oral anti-diabetic drug. Consequently, patients, pharmacists, and healthcare providers may face unnecessary confusion during prescribing or dispensing.
Experts Highlight the LASA Problem
However, legal experts note that the current consultation focuses mainly on identical brand names with extensions. It does not directly address Look-Alike Sound-Alike (LASA) medicines.
LASA medicines often have similar spellings, pronunciations, or packaging. As a result, they increase the likelihood of medication errors. For instance, the hypertension drug “Olvance” closely resembles “Oleanz,” an antipsychotic medicine prescribed for schizophrenia. Therefore, experts continue to urge regulators to introduce stronger preventive measures.
Supreme Court’s Cadila Judgment Remains Unimplemented
The Supreme Court addressed deceptive pharmaceutical trademarks in the landmark Cadila Healthcare judgment. The Court advised drug licensing authorities to obtain an official trademark search report from the Trade Mark Registry before granting licences.
This recommendation aimed to reduce deceptive similarity and prevent the spread of spurious drugs. Nevertheless, both state and central licensing authorities have yet to implement this important safeguard.
Short Consultation Period Draws Criticism
Stakeholders can submit their comments to the CDSCO until July 17, 2026. However, several legal commentators have criticised the 11-day consultation period.
They argue that the timeline is too short for an issue with significant public health implications. Furthermore, they point out that the matter remained under regulatory review for nearly eight months after the DCC meeting in November 2025.
Key Resources for Stakeholders
Stakeholders preparing submissions may find the following publications useful:
- The Doctrine Of Greater Care: Pharmaceutical Trademarks in India – Aparajita Lath
- Look-alike, Sound-alike (LASA) Drugs in India – Murali Neelakantan, Parth Sharma, and Ashish Kulkarni
- India’s Problem — Different Drugs, Identical Brand Names – Dinesh S. Thakur and Prashant Reddy T.
- The Monopoly Purple – Colours, Shapes and Sizes in the Pharmaceutical World – Swaraj Barooah and Murali Neelakantan
- Pharmaceutical Trademark Confusion: Poison Pill or Public Health? – Aparajita Lath
- Drug Doppelgängers: Unveiling the Dangers of Look-Alike, Sound-Alike (LASA) Medications – Aditya Bhargava
- Why Did a Rule on Mandatory Prescription of Generic Drugs Fail in India? – Prashant Reddy
- Why Do Prescription Drugs Have Such Crazy Names? – Annalies Winny
- Medication Safety for Look-Alike, Sound-Alike Medicines – World Health Organization (WHO)
Conclusion
The CDSCO brand name extensions consultation represents an important opportunity to strengthen pharmaceutical trademark regulation in India. At the same time, experts continue to call for broader reforms that also address LASA medicines and identical brand names. Ultimately, stronger regulatory safeguards could reduce medication errors, improve patient safety, and increase public confidence in the pharmaceutical sector.
