Union Health Ministry to amend New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules for streamlining test licence, study applications

New Delhi [India], September 3 (ANI): In accordance with the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards reducing the regulatory compliance and towards promoting ease of doing business in the pharmaceutical and clinical research sectors, the Union Health Ministry is set to amend the New Drugs and Clinical Trials (NDCT) Rules, 2019, said an official release.
The proposed amendments were published in the Gazette of India on 28th August, 2025, seeking public comments. The amendments aim to simplify the requirements and procedures for obtaining test licences and for submitting applications related to Bioavailability/Bioequivalence (BA/BE) studies. Key highlights of the proposed amendments are as follows:
1. Test Licence Applications: Under the proposed amendment, the present license system for test licenses has been converted to a notification/intimation system. Through this, the applicants need not wait for test licenses (except a small category of high risk category drugs) but will need to just intimate the Central Licensing Authority. Additionally, the overall statutory processing time for test licence applications will be reduced from 90 days to 45 days.
2. Bioavailability/Bioequivalence (BA/BE) Study Applications: Under the proposed amendment, the existing licence requirement will be dispensed with for specific categories of BA/BE studies, which may instead be initiated upon submission of an intimation or notification to the Central Licensing Authority.

These regulatory reforms are expected to benefit stakeholders by significantly reducing the timelines for processing applications. These proposed amendments will reduce the number of license applications being submitted by approximately 50%. This will facilitate quicker initiation of BA/BE studies, testing and examination of drugs for research, and reduce delays in the drug development and approval processes.
Moreover, the amendments will enable the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to optimise the deployment of its human resources, thereby enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of regulatory oversight.
This initiative underscores the Government of India's commitment to ongoing regulatory reforms in the pharmaceutical sector. It forms part of the broader efforts to promote the Ease of Doing Business and foster the growth of the Indian pharmaceutical industry, aligning domestic regulations with global best practices.
These steps are expected to increase the attractiveness of India for clinical research, thereby strengthening India's position as a global hub for pharmaceutical research and development, said the release. (ANI)