Indian pharma company sets world record!
Indian pharma company sets world record for the largest vulture-safe drug-users drive engaging over 8,000 veterinary professionals
Awareness among Indian vets of the vital role of vultures and the importance of using vulture-safe veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was highlighted by Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd., India, with world-record-setting engagement officially recognised by the World Book of Records, London!
Aerial view: Photo collage of over 8,000 veterinary professionals forming the world’s largest interlocking-hands collage
The initiative, organised by Intas, directly engaged with over 8,000 veterinary professionals across India. It highlighted the ecological importance of vultures and the catastrophic impact of veterinary NSAIDs on their populations. Through its extensive network, Intas reached out to grassroots veterinary practitioners in almost every Indian state, briefing them on the dangers of toxic NSAIDs — diclofenac, aceclofenac, ketoprofen, and nimesulide — all of which are proven to be lethal to vultures that consume carcasses of recently treated livestock.
All vets were reached in person, briefed about the campaign, and invited to pledge to prescribe vulture-safe NSAIDs such as meloxicam and tolfenamic acid. Each veterinarian had their photo taken, received a certificate, and pledged to use vulture-safe drugs.
The initiative also highlighted the critical environmental role vultures play in ecosystem services and for human health.
Mr. Binish Chudgar, Chairman and Managing Director of Intas, expressed pride in the organisation’s environmental leadership: “Together, we are making a meaningful impact by safeguarding the silent sentinels of our ecosystem and promoting a healthier future.”
The campaign was led by Mr. Vijay Teng, President, Global Animal Health Business at Intas, and his team, who have closely followed the vulture conservation story for over 20 years. Mr Teng also presented valuable information on NSAIDs at the recent SAVE online Openday.
Jemima Parry-Jones, Chair of SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction), commented: “Highlighting to vets the role of veterinary drugs in the vulture story, and why vultures are so important, is an area that needs more attention. This innovative messaging is extremely welcome. Vets are crucial in encouraging and promoting the use of safe NSAIDs in their daily work with farmers.”
Dr Milind Deore, Senior Indian veterinarian, Toxicology Consultant and CEO, ToxRemedies said: “Although Intas are major producers of meloxicam and tolfenamic acid, these drugs are off-patent and produced by multiple manufacturers – we remember the formulation patent for meloxicam was generously removed early for several Asian countries including India by Boehringer Ingelheim, the German pharma company that originally developed the molecule, specifically to assist vulture conservation.”
“While meloxicam’s safety has been known for almost twenty years, we now also know that tolfenamic acid is safe. We hope this additional option becomes more widely adopted by veterinarians.”
Mr. Vijay Teng said: “Over the past two decades, we’ve learned that raising awareness among veterinarians is the key to real change. Every prescription they write can either harm or help vultures — and, by extension, the health of our ecosystems. By reaching vets directly and sharing the science behind vulture-safe NSAIDs, we are turning awareness into action. Protecting these birds is not just about saving species; it’s about preserving biodiversity, supporting the environment, and safeguarding public health.”
Dr. Raja Mukherjee, Executive Vice President – Intas Animal Health, emphasized: “As veterinarians are at the forefront of animal healthcare, their choices have far-reaching consequences. By actively promoting vulture-safe NSAIDs and educating veterinarians about their ecological impact, we can ensure that animal treatment aligns with ecosystem conservation. This initiative is a step towards responsible veterinary practice — one that safeguards both livestock health and the delicate balance of our ecosystems.”
SAVE commends such awareness-raising initiatives among the veterinary community, particularly those that highlight the link between veterinary prescriptions and the critical role of vultures in the environment.
The World Book of Records honour was conferred upon Intas Animal Health and received by Mr. Vijay Teng and Dr. Raja Mukherjee for achieving the “World’s Largest Awareness Drive to Safeguard Vultures and the Ecosystem” — through a record-setting photo collage of interlocking hands, symbolising unity among over 8,000 veterinary professionals across India, on 9th September 2025.
The initiative underscores the need for systematic safety-testing of veterinary drugs on vultures before licensing as highlighted recently in Science. Meanwhile, safety-testing on vultures of other similar drugs is underway, including for paracetamol and flunixin.
Campaigns like this demonstrate how the pharmaceutical industry can engage positively in wildlife protection, and how we need governments and pharma companies to take a more responsible approach whereby only tested safe drugs are produced and licensed for veterinary use.
Compiled by Chris Bowden, SAVE Advisor
Further links:
Vulture-policy-brief-India-2025.pdf