No Coercive Steps Against Pharma Firms for FDCs in Market: Delhi HC to Centre

NEW DELHI:
The Delhi High Court asked the Centre not to take coercive steps against the pharmaceutical companies for their batches already in the market, provided they stop manufacturing the medicines banned by the Centre. The government recently banned 328 fixed dose combination drugs.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru passed the interim order in favour of few drug manufacturers who have challenged the Health Ministry’s September 7 ban on 328 FDCs, which are two or more drugs combined in a fixed ratio into a single dosage form. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Acharya, who was defending the Centre’s stand, assured that they will not take any coercive steps against the firms. The court said that the interim order would apply to companies which was before it and directed the ministry to file an affidavit indicating the reasons for prohibiting manufacture and sale of the FDCs. It also asked the government to place before it whether any material was considered by the expert panel, set up on the direction of the Supreme Court, before coming to the conclusion.
The ASG contended that we have dealt with each and every aspect and have even heard each of the firm before concluding. “We are not shying away from showing any documents,” the ASG submitted. The court directed the drug companies to give the batch numbers of the stock in already in the market. The court has listed the matter for further hearing on September 27. Pharma majors like Glenmark, Wockhardt, Alkem Laboratories, Obsurge Biotech, Coral Laboratories, Lupin, Mankind Pharma, Koye Pharmaceuticals, Macleods and Laborate moved the high court against the ban on their FDCs.