New Delhi, March 24 -- As a surge in low-cost generic versions of popular weight-loss drugs widens access in India, the country's top drug regulator has launched a nationwide crackdown on their misuse across the supply chain, conducting audits and sending notices to violators, the government said on Tuesday. Action, which could include licence cancellation and prosecution, is likely to be stepped up in the coming weeks, it said.

In a statement, the government said the popular drug GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) had been approved on the condition it would be prescribed only by medical experts to ensure patent safety. Mint reported earlier about the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) stance to ensure that the anti-obesity drug was p...