How to check whether a treatment is approved in India — before you pay for it

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), under India's Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, is the single national regulator responsible for approving and licensing every drug sold or used in the country, including cancer and immunotherapy medicines. CDSCO reviews safety and efficacy data and grants approval for a defined cancer type, stage, and patient population — never generically for "cancer" as a whole.

CDSCO grants two related but different things, and the difference matters here. Marketing approval allows a drug to be sold and prescribed for a specific, named indication. Clinical trial permission allows a drug still under study to be given only within a registered trial, to eligible patients, under monitored conditions. Both are handled through CDSCO's official regulatory channels, including the SUGAM portal used for applications and notifications. Neither approval is generic — a drug approved for one cancer is not automatically approved for another.

This applies the same way to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, and newer targeted drugs your family may not have heard of before a diagnosis. Every one of them is evaluated through CDSCO for approval, and through CTRI if it is still investigational. Knowing this one fact removes most of the guesswork when comparing what different clinics or advisors are offering.

1. 1

   Get the exact name and indication

   Ask for the drug's brand name, generic name, and the specific cancer type and stage it is meant to treat. A genuine approved medicine has this clearly documented.

2. 2

   Ask to see the CDSCO approval

   Request the approved label or package insert, or check CDSCO's official published notifications yourself. If no one can show you this, treat it as a reason to pause.

3. 3

   Look up trial registration, if relevant

   If the treatment is described as experimental, investigational, or a "trial," ask for its CTRI registration number and check it on the public registry.

4. 4

   Confirm the doctor's registration

   Ask for the treating doctor's medical registration number and the council that issued it, and confirm their oncology specialisation.

5. 5

   Ask about sourcing, especially for injectable medicines

   Regulators have flagged counterfeit versions of some cancer medicines entering the Indian market. For any injectable drug, ask for the pharmacy invoice and batch details before it is administered.

• Which regulator has approved this exact drug for my cancer type and stage?
• Is this standard, approved care, or part of a registered clinical trial — and if a trial, what is its CTRI number?
• Can I see the treating doctor's medical registration number and oncology specialisation?
• Can I have an itemised cost estimate in writing before I pay anything?
• Where is the medicine sourced from, and can you show batch and invoice details?
• What happens, and what do I owe, if I decide not to continue?

A clinic offering genuine, approved cancer care will answer every one of these questions directly and without hesitation.

Some clinics offer practices such as ozone therapy, dendritic-cell "immunity" injections, panchagavya-based preparations, or unregulated immunity drips as alternatives to approved cancer treatment. None of these are CDSCO-approved cancer therapies, and none should replace evidence-based care — but disclosing them to your oncology team matters more than either accepting or rejecting them outright.

Traditional systems such as Ayurveda and homeopathy have a long, valued place in general wellbeing, and using them alongside cancer care for comfort or wellness is not automatically a problem. The concern is narrower and more practical: some unregulated preparations can interact with treatment, mask early symptoms, or be marketed using medical-sounding language — like "immunotherapy" or "immune boosting" — without going through the same CDSCO review a genuinely approved cancer drug goes through. Ask what a "treatment" is actually regulated as before deciding whether to try it.

• Warning Signs of an Unlicensed Cancer Clinic — the broader red flags that go beyond a single drug or trial check.
• What Families Should Ask Before Paying for Any Immune Treatment — a fuller list of questions for the moment before you commit financially.
• Panchagavya, Cow Urine and Immune Cancer Cures — a closer look at one specific unproven practice named on this page.
• Immunotherapy at CION Cancer Clinics — the full picture of how CION explains, delivers, and monitors approved immunotherapy for patients.

This page is for general information about verifying treatment legitimacy in India and does not replace a consultation. Always confirm approval and registration details with your treating doctor and the relevant regulator directly.

Thousands of families ask this before they pay

Wanting to verify a treatment before committing to it is a sign of care, not distrust. Ask us directly — our team explains it in plain language, honestly, at no cost.