New Delhi, May 18 -- The Centre is set to clamp down on the use of harmful chemicals and energy-intensive processes in the pharmaceutical industry, a sweeping regulatory shift that will alter how medicines are tested and manufactured in its $50 billion drug market.

The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is crafting new standards for drug making and testing by using green chemistry principles, which are essentially guidelines to reduce or eliminate hazardous substances. The commission is the health ministry's apex body responsible for setting the standards for drug making and testing in India. A key objective is to replace carcinogenic class-1 solvents such as benzene, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride with water or other safer class...