Explained: What is Oxytocin and why does the govt want to ban its commercial use?

The health ministry in April 2018 notified a ban on private firms from manuacturing and selling oxytocin, stating that it wanted to restrict the responsibility of supplying the drug to a Karnataka-based public sector manufacturer to avoid its misuse in the veterinary field.

The final decision on whether the government can block private pharmaceutical companies from manufacturing and selling vital pregnancy drug oxytocin in India has been deferred, with the Supreme Court deciding the issue needs further deliberation. While the apex court, hearing the government’s appeal on the issue for several months, was expected to pronounce its judgment on the issue on August 22, a bench comprising Justices Abhay Manohar Sapre and Indu Malhotra has instead formulated seven “points” for consideration by a larger bench.