About Nimesulide

• Nimesulide, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) is widely used to relieve pain and inflammation across the globe and in India.
• However, research has revealed that vultures died from poisoning after consuming carcasses containing nimesulide, with tissue concentrations comparable to those seen in diclofenac-related poisoning. 
• Ingestion of carcasses with traces of these drugs is believed to play a huge role in the dwindling numbers of Indian vultures, which are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Why in News?

• The Union government banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of all formulations of Nimesulide, a painkiller administered to animals, after studies conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, confirmed its toxicity to vultures.
• This is the fourth non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug to be prohibited in the country since 2006, following Diclofenac, Aceclofenac, and Ketoprofen.