Lobby groups of pharmaceutical companies considering petition against drug ban

New Delhi: Lobby groups of pharmaceutical companies are leaving no stone unturned to get the health ministry’s ban on 344 fixed-dose combination (FDC) drugs revoked.

Industry groups that were fighting the ban from the sidelines are considering joining the long queue of companies that have approached courts seeking relief. Among them, the Federation of South Indian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (FOSIPMA) is contemplating a petition in the Madras High Court, seeking a stay on all the drugs that were banned, according to a representative of one of the groups who did not want to be named.

These FDCs — drugs with two or more therapeutic ingredients in a single dose — were listed for prohibition with immediate effect in a March 10 gazette notification. These drugs were deemed unsafe by a government's expert committee. Popular brands like Corex, Vicks Action 500 Extra, D'cold Total and Saridon were among FDCs that were banned. Some manufacturers received interim relief, after the approached the Delhi High Court, which kept their products out of the banned list for now.