Pregnant women can soon take anti-diabetes drug Metformin

Popular anti-diabetes drug metformin hydrochloride may soon become the first oral diabetic medication approved to be used during pregnancy and around conception (periconceptional stage) in the country.

The country's drug regulator has asked gynaecologists and neonatologists to review metformin hydrochloride for further consideration, a government official said. A decision on the same will be taken soon, the person said.

The UK and some EU countries allow this drug for pregnant women and during the periconceptional phase. So far, doctors in India prescribe insulin for pregnant women.

The Subject Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation discussed the matter at a meeting last month after drugmaker USV presented a proposal for grant of permission to update the prescribing information to allow metformin hydrochloride 500 mg and 1,000 mg SR tablets during pregnancy and in the periconceptional phase as an addition or an alternative to insulin, the official cited above said. "Metformin stands as a versatile medication for all stages of life and shows promise for safe use during pregnancy," said Anoop Misra, chairman of Fortis-C-DOC Centre of Excellence for Diabetes, Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology.

However, he cautioned, "It is crucial to establish Indian-specific data as there have been reports of low birth weight in certain patient subsets."