- Why in news
- On 11 February 2026, the Science & Technology Minister told the Lok Sabha about government support for indigenous antibiotics, including the CDSCO-approved Nafithromycin tablets for pneumonia.
- What it is
- Nafithromycin is a new macrolide antibiotic developed by Wockhardt, an Indian company. It is meant for community acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) in adults. It is part of India's push to build its own antibiotics against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
- Developer and use
- Nafithromycin is a novel macrolide developed by the Wockhardt group for community acquired bacterial pneumonia.
- BIRAC support
- BIRAC, a Section 8 not-for-profit public sector enterprise of DBT, partly supported the Indian phase III trial.
- Approval
- CDSCO has permitted sale of Nafithromycin 400 mg tablets for adults aged 18 and above with CABP.
- Indian Priority Pathogen list
- DBT and the WHO country office developed a list to guide research and development of new antibiotics in India.
- Bio-RIDE
- DBT's Bio-RIDE scheme funds R&D on antimicrobial therapeutics, antibiotic combinations and drug repurposing for pathogens such as M. tuberculosis, S. aureus and E. coli.
- PRIP scheme
- The Department of Pharmaceuticals runs PRIP to support development and validation of new medicines.
Don’t confuse with BIRAC vs DBT: DBT is the government department; BIRAC is its Section 8 not-for-profit public sector enterprise that funds innovation and startups.
Don’t confuse with Bio-RIDE vs PRIP: Bio-RIDE is a DBT scheme; PRIP is a Department of Pharmaceuticals scheme.
Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.
Why it matters
- Improves the ability to treat drug-resistant infections and widens access to affordable treatment.
- Builds self-reliance and strengthens domestic research and manufacturing.
Problems
- Antibiotic discovery is costly and slow, and returns are low, which discourages investment.
- Misuse and overuse of antibiotics can erode the value of any new drug through resistance.
Way forward
- Sustain funding across the pipeline from early research to commercialisation.
- Pair new drugs with antibiotic stewardship and surveillance to slow resistance.
Put in your answer
Indian Priority Pathogen list: Example of a targeted national approach: DBT with WHO country office guides antibiotic research.
Nafithromycin: Example of an indigenous antibiotic reaching approval with public funding support through BIRAC.
- 2014Mains GS3 · Q11Whether antibiotic overuse drives drug-resistant diseases; monitoring and control
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- 2018Mains GS3 · Q15Why biotechnology activity in India benefits biopharma development
- 2019Prelims Q98Reasons for multi-drug resistance in microbial pathogens in India
- 2020Prelims Q45How pneumococcal vaccines reduce reliance on ineffective antibiotics
- 2022Prelims Q37Statements on biofilms, including their antibiotic resistance
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Sci-tech first-of-kind drug linked to antimicrobial resistance; few stable facts beyond use for pneumonia, so card only.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.