Since 1927, when the topic of drug regulation was first discussed in the Council of State after Sir Haroon Jaffer sought a resolution regarding the “control of the craze for medicinal drugs”, the issue of advertisements of drugs claiming to have a therapeutic effect on humans has been a serious public health concern.

It took 27 years before India tackled the issue through the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act (DMRA), 1954. This law prohibits any advertisements of any drugs, whether approved or not by the regulator, for a list of 54 medical conditions. For example, the law prohibits the advertisement of any drug for the treatment of diabetes, regardless of whether its efficacy has been clinically established.

The advent of Internet-based advertising

A lot has ch

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