New Delhi, Feb. 17 -- India plans to take away the power of state drug regulators to grant approvals to manufacture antibiotics as the country faces the world's worst public health threat from antimicrobial resistance developed by overuse and abuse of medicines.

Antimicrobial medicines used to treat infections from pathogens-including bacteria, viruses and fungi-will now be categorized "new drug" under the New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules, 2019, according to two officials aware of the development. That would make the central government the sole authority to allow manufacture of new antibiotics in the country, the officials said on the condition of anonymity as details are not out yet.

The World Health Organization has called antimicro...