IF HEALTH is indeed wealth... then we Indians are going to get richer. Very soon: announces the advertisement for Depo Provera (DP) in a national daily -- the same Depo Provera (depomedroxyprogesterone) that has been around for more than 25 years, getting into one controversy or the other ever since its development. The safety of the drug has been repeatedly questioned, especially when used as a long-acting injectable contraceptive.

Preliminary trials of DP on beagle dogs and rhesus monkeys showed an increase in breast nodules and breast cancer. In 1974, the US Food and Drug Authority (FDA) allowed the use of DP for "restrictive use" by women with a history of contraceptive failure. The drug was banned in 1978 in the US after 3 Congressional hearings, which was lifted a couple of years back. Even during the ban, Upjohn, the manufacturer of the contraceptive, exported DP to countries like Thailand, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Recently, there have been serious allegations of bribery against Upjohn. In a submission to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Upjohn admitted that it had paid $2,710,000 to employees of foreign governments to ensure sales to government agencies. Hardly the right credentials to promise better health care for Indians. Apart from the FDA approval, there seems little reason for the Indian government to approve the use of DP in the country.