HC relieves 14 more pharma companies from FDC drug ban

Fourteen more healthcare majors, including Cipla, Lupin, Wockhardt, Glaxosmithkline and Mankind Pharma, were on Thursday granted interim relief by Delhi High Court which stayed till March 21 the ban imposed by the Centre on sale of some of their fixed dose combination (FDC) drugs. Apart from these five, Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw also provided relief to Dr Reddy’s, Laborate Pharmaceuticals, Alkem Laboratories, Ajanta Pharma, Khandelwal Laboratories Pvt Ltd, Micro Lab Ltd, FDC Ltd, Coral Laboratories Ltd and Eris Lifesciences Pvt Ltd.

The court passed the same order as was issued in the pleas filed by eight other firms, including Pfizer, Procter and Gamble (P&G), Glenmark and Reckitt Benckiser in the past three days. “The same order. We will hear on Monday (March 21),” the court said, adding that government should file its affidavit before that date. Till date, the high court interim stay order is being enjoyed by 22 firms, including Abbott Healthcare, Alembic Pharma and Piramal Enterprises.