SC allows sale of Saridon, Piriton, Dart; seeks Centre's reply on pleas against its order to ban 328 drugs

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday exempted Saridon, Piriton, Dart from the list of 328 fixed dose combination drugs that were banned by the Centre last week.

Allowing the sale of the three drugs, the SC has sought a reply from the Centre on the pleas against the order to ban the FDCs manufactured before 1988. 

The health ministry had on September 13 banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of 328 fixed doze combination of drugs with immediate effect and restricted another six. 

The Centre, in March 2016, had prohibited the manufacture, sale and distribution of 349 FDCs but this was contested by the affected manufacturers in high courts and the Supreme Court. 

Complying with the December 2017 Supreme Court judgment, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) examined the matter and, in its report to the Centre, recommended prohibition of the FDCs, saying there was no therapeutic justification for the ingredients contained in them and that these FDCs may involve risk to human beings. 

Earlier, an expert committee appointed by the Centre too had made similar observations.

Considering the recommendations of DTAB and the expert committee, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, through a gazette notification, prohibited the FDCs.