Reviewed against the manufacturer’s Prescribing Information v3.0 (June 2024) · Updated 27 August 2026
The short answer
Neurobion Forte is a six-vitamin B-complex tablet whose label dose is two tablets daily
It is a licensed drug under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 — not a food supplement — and every active is declared to Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) grade. The manufacturer’s Prescribing Information is the controlling document, and most consumer pages quote it wrongly.[1]
- Dose on the label: two tablets daily, or as directed by a physician [1]
- Composition per tablet: B1 10 mg, B2 10 mg, B3 45 mg, B5 50 mg, B6 3 mg, B12 15 mcg [1]
- Not for children. The label states it is not suitable for use in children [1]
- Contains gelatin (as the B12 triturate carrier) — not suitable for a vegan diet [1]
- Marketed by Procter & Gamble Health Limited, Mumbai; manufacturing site is printed on the pack [1]
- Retail MRP: around ₹47.5 for a strip of 30 tablets (Indian retail listings, August 2026) [8]
Three things most Neurobion Forte pages get wrong
This page was rebuilt against primary sources in August 2026. Three claims that circulate widely — including on the earlier version of this page — do not survive contact with the manufacturer’s own document or the Indian regulatory record.
“One tablet daily”
The Prescribing Information says two tablets daily. Pages quoting one tablet are describing half the labelled dose, which changes every per-day figure below it.[1]
“It is a nutraceutical”
It carries IP-grade actives and a Prescribing Information, so it is regulated as a drug, not as a food supplement under FSSAI. The distinction decides which licence, which labelling rules and which recall pathway apply.[1]
Why there are six vitamins
India banned the three-vitamin B1 + B6 + B12 combination with effect from 1 January 2001. The six-vitamin formula is the reformulation that followed.[2,5]
Composition, dose limits, safety and regulatory status
Four panels. Use the arrow keys to move between them.
What is actually in the tablet
Each film-coated tablet declares the following, with appropriate overages added. The right-hand columns compare the labelled two-tablet daily intake against the ICMR reference intake for an Indian adult, and against the prophylactic-versus-therapeutic classification published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research.[1,2]
| Active (IP) | Per tablet | Per day at label dose | ICMR reference intake | Dose class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thiamine mononitrate (B1) | 10 mg | 20 mg | 1.2–1.7 mg/day | Prophylactic |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 10 mg | 20 mg | 1.4–2.1 mg/day | Therapeutic |
| Nicotinamide (B3) | 45 mg | 90 mg | 16–21 mg/day | Prophylactic |
| Calcium pantothenate (B5) | 50 mg | 100 mg | No ICMR figure set | Therapeutic |
| Pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6) | 3 mg | 6 mg | 2 mg/day | Prophylactic |
| Cyanocobalamin (B12), as triturate in gelatin | 15 mcg | 30 mcg | 1 mcg/day | Prophylactic |
Scroll the table sideways on a phone.
What “Forte” does and does not mean
Four of the six actives sit at prophylactic (preventive) strength rather than therapeutic strength when measured against Indian reference doses. Only riboflavin and calcium pantothenate reach therapeutic levels. A product that reads as a high-strength nerve treatment is, on most of its actives, a supplementation dose.[2]
Excipients and colours
Dibasic calcium phosphate, disodium edetate, magnesium stearate, starch, talc and Opadry. Colours declared are Ponceau 4R Lake and Titanium Dioxide IP. The B12 is carried as a triturate in gelatin, which is why the tablet is not suitable for a vegan diet even though the vitamins themselves are not animal-derived.[1]
Labelled dose and the numbers that bound it
The Prescribing Information gives one dosing line: two tablets daily, or as directed by a physician. It sets no maximum duration, but does state that taking any single B vitamin for a long period can produce an imbalance of the others.[1]
| Vitamin | Intake at label dose | Threshold cited in the PI | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| B6 (pyridoxine) | 6 mg/day | 300–500 mg/day over time may be neurotoxic | 50–83× below |
| B3 (nicotinamide) | 90 mg/day | Flushing reported at 50 mg/day or more | Above the stated figure |
| B2 (riboflavin) | 20 mg/day | PI notes a photosensitivity caution above 10 mg/day | Above the stated figure |
| B1, B5, B12 | 20 mg / 100 mg / 30 mcg per day | No toxic dose established | Not applicable |
Reading the B3 and B2 rows honestly
Two of the four rows sit above a threshold named in the manufacturer’s own document. That is worth stating plainly rather than hiding. It is not the same as saying the product is unsafe: the flushing effect is characteristic of nicotinic acid, and the same PI notes that nicotinamide behaves differently from nicotinic acid. The riboflavin caution is reported in the PI without a supporting citation. Both rows are reasons to keep a physician in the loop on long-term daily use, not grounds for alarm.[1]
Storage and shelf life
Store at or below 25 °C in a dry place, protected from light and moisture. Declared shelf life is 18 months. Presentation is a blister strip of 30 tablets.[1]
Who the label excludes
- Children. The PI states the product is not suitable for use in children.[1]
- Pregnancy and lactation. The formulation has not been studied in pregnant or lactating women. The PI directs that ICMR-recommended B-vitamin intakes be followed instead.[1]
- Known hypersensitivity to any ingredient in the formulation.[1]
The interaction that matters most
Pyridoxine reduces the effectiveness of levodopa by accelerating its peripheral metabolism. Anyone taking levodopa for Parkinson’s disease should not start a B6-containing product without their neurologist. Pyridoxine also reduces the effectiveness of phenytoin. Both interactions appear on the Neurobion Forte PI and on Pfizer’s Becosules label.[1,6]
Other documented interactions
- All B-complex vitamins reduce absorption of tetracycline; B5 also interferes with its effectiveness.[1]
- Isoniazid, cycloserine, hydralazine, penicillamine and theophylline lower body B6 levels — the reason B6 is co-prescribed in tuberculosis therapy.[1,2]
- Colchicine, para-aminosalicylic acid and sustained heavy alcohol intake can cause B12 malabsorption.[1]
- Antibiotics, methotrexate and pyrimethamine invalidate folate and B12 diagnostic blood assays.[1]
One quiet advantage: no folic acid
Neurobion Forte contains no folic acid. In pernicious anaemia, folic acid can correct the anaemia while the neurological lesion continues to progress — a masking effect flagged on the label of folate-containing B-complex products such as Becosules. Its absence here means the formulation cannot obscure an untreated B12 absorption problem in that way.[6]
Reported adverse events
The PI records no adverse events reported for the finished product, and lists the safety profile of each vitamin from the literature instead. Riboflavin can turn urine bright yellow or orange; this is harmless and expected.[1]
The regulatory history behind the formula
The six-vitamin composition is not a formulation choice made in a vacuum. It is the direct consequence of a prohibition order, and that history is the part almost every consumer page omits.
-
1 January 2001
The fixed-dose combination of Vitamin B1 + Vitamin B6 + Vitamin B12 for human use is prohibited in India. A core group of experts appointed by the Supreme Court had concluded the combination was not rational and should be phased out.[2,5]
-
Following the ban
Manufacturers added B2, B3 and B5 to the prohibited three-vitamin base. The reformulated six-vitamin product returned to market and, by 2017, reported sales above ₹161 crore. The IJMR authors question directly whether adding more actives to a banned combination makes it rational.[2]
-
21 August 2024
156 fixed-dose combinations prohibited under section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, on DTAB recommendation. Several B-complex combinations with silymarin are on that list. This six-vitamin combination is not.[5]
-
June 2026
A further 16 FDCs prohibited under section 26A following the Supreme Court’s direction for a comprehensive FDC review. Multivitamin combinations remain under active DTAB examination. Anyone building a portfolio on B-complex FDCs should treat that review as live, not closed.[7]
Pricing control status
This combination is not a scheduled formulation under Schedule I of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, so NPPA does not fix a ceiling price for it. It falls instead under paragraph 20, which permits an MRP increase of no more than 10 per cent over the preceding twelve months. See the current NPPA and DPCO ceiling price position for how the scheduled and non-scheduled regimes differ.[3]
Is it a prescription product?
India has no positively defined over-the-counter category. A product is sold without a prescription because it is absent from Schedules H, H1, G and X, or because it falls within a Schedule K exemption — not because anything affirmatively classifies it as OTC. Neurobion Forte is sold at retail without a prescription on that basis. Our Schedule H drugs list and dispensing rules sets out why absence from Schedule H alone proves nothing.[4]
What the evidence supports, and what it does not
The most common claim made for this product is that it relieves diabetic nerve pain. That claim is weaker than it appears, and a page written by a pharmaceutical professional should say so.
Correcting a deficiency
Well supported. Where a B-vitamin deficiency is confirmed, replacing the vitamin is the treatment. This is the indication the label actually claims.[1]
Peripheral neuropathy
The Cochrane review of 13 trials and 741 participants concluded the evidence is insufficient to determine whether vitamin B is beneficial or harmful in treating peripheral neuropathy.[9]
Diabetic neuropathy
A 2021 systematic review of five studies and 348 participants found the evidence too uncertain to draw conclusions on pain intensity or impairment, short or long term.[10]
The practical reading
“Uncertain” is not the same as “does not work” — the trials are small and few. But it does mean nobody should present nerve-pain relief as an established outcome. If tingling or numbness is the reason for taking this, the useful step is to find out why: B12 status, HbA1c, thyroid function and drug history all sit upstream of the symptom. A supplement taken instead of that workup delays a diagnosis. Vitamins account for roughly a quarter of all drugs prescribed in surveyed Indian practice, and the IJMR authors argue directly that this needs reassessment.[2]
Label-position checker
Answer three questions to see what the product label says about your situation. This reports the label position only. It is not a diagnosis, not a prescription, and not a substitute for your doctor.
1. Who would be taking it?
2. Any levodopa or phenytoin in the current medicines?
3. What is the reason for taking it?
Answer the three questions above
The label position and the governing control point will appear here.
Neurobion Forte compared with Becosules
The honest comparison is by composition and labelled daily intake, both taken from the two manufacturers’ own prescribing documents. Retail prices move and are omitted here for that reason — check the pack.[1,6]
| Nutrient | Neurobion Forte, per day at label dose (2 tablets) | Becosules, per day at label dose (1 capsule) |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamine (B1) | 20 mg | 10 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 20 mg | 10 mg |
| Nicotinamide (B3) | 90 mg | 100 mg |
| Calcium pantothenate (B5) | 100 mg | 50 mg |
| Pyridoxine (B6) | 6 mg | 3 mg |
| Cyanocobalamin (B12) | 30 mcg | 15 mcg |
| Biotin (B7) | None | 100 mcg |
| Folic acid (B9) | None | 1.5 mg |
| Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) | None | 150 mg |
| Dosage form | Film-coated tablet, strip of 30 | Hard gelatin capsule, strip of 20 |
Scroll the table sideways on a phone.
Read that way, the familiar summary that “Becosules is the higher-dose product” holds only for B3, biotin, folate and vitamin C. On the six vitamins the two share, the labelled Neurobion Forte intake is double that of Becosules, because the label dose is two tablets rather than one. The meaningful difference is not strength — it is that Becosules adds folate and vitamin C, and Neurobion Forte does not.[1,6]
What this formulation looks like from the manufacturing side
For anyone evaluating this category commercially rather than clinically, four points follow from the label.
- It is a drug licence, not a food licence. IP-grade actives and a Prescribing Information place it under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, which means Form 25 or 28 manufacturing, revised Schedule M premises and quality-system requirements, and drug-side labelling — not an FSSAI nutraceutical licence.
- It is an FDC with a prohibition history. A six-vitamin B-complex is a reformulation around a banned three-vitamin base, and the DTAB’s multivitamin FDC review is still open. Approval status is a live diligence item on any B-complex product proposal.[2,5,7]
- Pricing sits under paragraph 20, not a ceiling. Non-scheduled status gives MRP freedom bounded by the 10 per cent annual cap — the usual reason B-complex is attractive as a PCD franchise line.[3]
- Even the market leader outsources. The PI directs the reader to the pack for the manufacturing address rather than naming a single site, and P&G Health manufactures both at its own Goa facility and at third-party managed sites. Loan licence and third-party manufacturing are the norm in this category, not the exception.[1]
Frequently asked questions
The label indications are supplementation for general health and vitality, supplementation for a healthy nervous system, and general debility or weakness with symptoms such as tingling and numbness related to B-vitamin deficiency. It is a supplementation product for deficiency states, not an analgesic and not a treatment for nerve damage from other causes.
The Prescribing Information states two tablets daily, or as directed by a physician. Many consumer pages say one tablet daily, which is half the labelled dose. Follow the physician’s direction where one has been given, because the label defers to it.
Each film-coated tablet contains thiamine mononitrate IP 10 mg, riboflavin IP 10 mg, pyridoxine hydrochloride IP 3 mg, cyanocobalamin triturate in gelatin equivalent to cyanocobalamin IP 15 mcg, nicotinamide IP 45 mg and calcium pantothenate IP 50 mg, with appropriate overages added. It contains no folic acid, no biotin and no vitamin C.
Indian retail listings in August 2026 show an MRP of about ₹47.5 for a strip of 30 tablets, inclusive of taxes. The combination is not price-controlled by NPPA, so the MRP is set by the company subject to a maximum increase of 10 per cent in any twelve-month period. Always take the figure printed on the pack as authoritative.
The label sets no maximum duration and reports no adverse events for the product. It does warn that taking any one B vitamin over a long period can produce an imbalance of the others. At the labelled two-tablet dose the pyridoxine intake of 6 mg per day sits far below the 300 to 500 mg per day at which the PI says B6 may become neurotoxic. Indefinite daily use without a reviewed reason is still worth discussing with a doctor.
It is sold at retail without a prescription. That is not because India classifies it as an over-the-counter drug — India has no positively defined OTC schedule. Products are sold without a prescription when they fall outside Schedules H, H1, G and X, or within a Schedule K exemption. The product is still a licensed drug in every other respect.
The vitamin B12 is declared as a cyanocobalamin triturate in gelatin. Gelatin is animal-derived, so the tablet is not suitable for a vegan diet. Vegetarians who consume dairy and eggs generally treat gelatin differently, so this is a personal judgement rather than a fixed rule. The product carries no vegetarian mark on the basis of that gelatin content.
The evidence does not establish that it does. A Cochrane review of 13 trials with 741 participants concluded the evidence is insufficient to determine whether vitamin B is beneficial or harmful in peripheral neuropathy, and a 2021 systematic review of five studies with 348 participants found the evidence too uncertain to draw conclusions in diabetic peripheral neuropathy specifically. Where a B12 deficiency is confirmed and is contributing to the neuropathy, correcting it is appropriate. Where it is not, the symptom needs investigating rather than supplementing.
Because the three-vitamin version was prohibited. India banned the fixed-dose combination of vitamin B1, B6 and B12 for human use with effect from 1 January 2001, after a Supreme Court-appointed expert group found the combination irrational. Manufacturers added B2, B3 and B5, and the reformulated six-vitamin product returned to the market.
Related on laafon.com
- Schedule H drugs list, labelling and dispensing rulesWhy absence from Schedule H does not make a product OTC in India.
- NPPA and DPCO ceiling prices, current positionHow scheduled ceilings and the paragraph 20 ten per cent cap actually work.
- CDSCO revised Schedule M compliance dashboardThe premises and quality-system requirements behind an oral solid dosage licence.
- PCD pharma franchiseHow B-complex and other non-scheduled lines are distributed through franchise partners.
- Tablet formulations catalogueOral solid dosage products available for franchise and contract supply.
- Regulatory compliance consultationProduct approval, FDC status and licensing questions reviewed case by case.
Planning a B-complex or multivitamin line?
FDC approval status, Schedule M readiness and paragraph 20 pricing are the three items that decide whether a vitamin proposal is viable. We review all three before you commit to a batch.
References
- Procter & Gamble Health Limited. Neurobion Forte Tablets — Prescribing Information. Version 3.0. Mumbai: Procter & Gamble Health Ltd; June 2024. Available from: assets.ctfassets.net. Accessed August 2026.
- Rana P, Roy V. Prescribing vitamin B complex: need for reassessment. Indian J Med Res. 2021;154(6):781–785. doi:10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1467_19. Available from: ijmr.org.in. Accessed August 2026.
- Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Department of Pharmaceuticals. Increase in prices of drugs — Rajya Sabha unstarred question, 29 July 2022. New Delhi: Government of India; 2022. Available from: eparlib.sansad.in. Accessed August 2026.
- Gupta P, Ghosh S. Over-the-counter drug market in India. MGM J Med Sci. 2021;8(1). Available from: jaypeedigital.com. Accessed August 2026.
- Drugs Control Administration, Government of Andhra Pradesh. List of drugs banned for marketing in India — entry 61, fixed dose combination of Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 for human use, with effect from 01-01-2001. Available from: drugscontrol.org. Accessed August 2026.
- Pfizer Limited India. Becosules Capsules — Summary of Prescribing Information. Mumbai: Pfizer Ltd. Available from: pfizermcm.com. Accessed August 2026.
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Prohibition of 16 fixed dose combinations under section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 — gazette notification, June 2026. As reported in: India bans 16 fixed-dose combination drugs. Available from: medpath.com. Accessed August 2026.
- ClickOnCare. Neurobion Forte Tablets, 30 tablets — MRP listing. Available from: clickoncare.com. Accessed August 2026. Retail listing, indicative only; the printed pack is authoritative.
- Ang CD, Alviar MJM, Dans AL, Bautista-Velez GGP, Villaruz-Sulit MVC, Tan JJ, et al. Vitamin B for treating peripheral neuropathy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;(3):CD004573. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004573.pub3. Indexed in PubMed, PMID 18646107. Available from: doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004573.pub3. Accessed August 2026.
- Khalil H, Ang CD, Khalil V. Vitamin B for treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy — a systematic review. Diabetes Metab Syndr. 2021;15(5):102213. doi:10.1016/j.dsx.2021.102213. Indexed in PubMed, PMID 34298270. Available from: doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2021.102213. Accessed August 2026.
Disclaimer. This page is technical and educational content written for pharmaceutical professionals and informed readers. It is not medical advice, not a prescription, and not a substitute for consultation with a qualified doctor or pharmacist. Do not start, stop or change any medicine on the basis of this page.
Indian statutory instruments, pharmacopoeial monographs, DTAB fixed-dose combination decisions and NPPA price orders change frequently, and product labels are revised without notice. Verify every figure against the current pack insert and the relevant gazette notification before relying on it commercially. Prices shown are indicative retail listings, not quotations.
Written and reviewed by Darshan Singh, M.Sc. (Organic Chemistry), D.Pharm — 23 years in pharmaceutical quality control, quality assurance and drug regulatory affairs.
