‘HC lifting ban on FDC drugs against patient safety’

Government on Monday sought vacation of Delhi High Court’s interim order staying the ban on some fixed dose combinations (FDC) medicines, saying it would be “against public interest and patient safety” and alleging that the drug firms’ sole objective was to make profits.

The submission was made by the government in an affidavit filed before Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw, who had last week stayed operation of the Centre’s ban on some FDC drugs of around 30 pharma companies, including Pfizer, Glenmark, Procter and Gamble (P&G) and Cipla.

Initially, the interim relief was given on March 14 to Pfizer’s cough syrup ‘Corex’. Later, during the course of the week, it was granted to over 30 companies, which also included Glaxo Smithkline, Reckitt Benckiser, Abbott Healthcare, Lupin, Piramal, Mankind Pharma and Wockhardt.

The court while staying operation of the government’s notification till March 21 had directed the Centre not to take coercive steps against these companies.