Johnson and Johnson goes to high court against payouts, gets no relief

Highlights

• Pharma major Johnson and Johnson (J&J) on Wednesday moved the Delhi high court challenging a central government directive to compensate patients affected by its faulty hip implants
• Justice Vibhu Bakhru, however, refused to grant any immediate relief to the company

NEW DELHI: Pharma major Johnson and Johnson (J&J) on Wednesday moved the Delhi high court, challenging a central government directive to compensate patients affected by its faulty hip implants.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru, however, refused to grant any immediate relief, noting that it would not be ‘apposite’ to pass any orders in the matter when the issue related to the compensation was pending before the Supreme Court.

The US-based company urged the court to intervene and argued that it was never given a chance to appear before the central expert panel, which created the formula to determine compensation for patients who received ‘faulty’ hip implants.

However, the HC noted that J&J’s plea was neither important nor urgent after Centre’s standing counsel Gaurang Kanth maintained that the top court was seized of the issue in which the pharma major was also a party. He informed the HC that the report of the expert committee had already been placed before the SC.

When the company said it wasn’t aware of any such proceedings since no notice had been issued to it, the HC said, “Now you are being made aware... Take appropriate steps.” The court then posted the plea for February next year.