The Delhi High Court on Thursday reserved its verdict in over 450 petitions filed by drug and healthcare majors challenging the Centre’s decision to ban 344 fixed dose combination (FDC) medicines, including well known brands like Corex cough syrup, Vicks Action 500 extra and D’Cold.
After hearing arguments of the companies like Pfizer, Glenmark, Procter and Gamble and Cipla, the central government and some NGOs like All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN) over a span of over two months, Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw reserved judgement on the pleas questioning the Centre’s decision.
The drug companies have been contending that ban order was passed without considering clinical data and termed as “absurd” government’s claim that it took the decision to ban FDC medicines on the ground that safer alternatives were available.
The government had banned over 300 FDC drugs on the ground that they involve “risk” to humans and safer alternatives were available.
Government had also said there were no valid licences for making any of the banned FDCs and added it was difficult to implement any action at state level.
AIDAN, which had intervened in the matter, had argued that there were nearly 40,000 FDC drugs in Indian market and since the regulatory control over such medicines was allegedly “illusory”, the Centre’s decision to ban some of them “was the only move”.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also supported the Centre's stand.
