The Supreme Court on Monday (Sep 17) allowed the sale of Saridon and two other drugs. These were among the 328 fixed-dose combination (FDC) drugs that the government banned last week.

The top court’s order came on a petition filed by top pharma companies. The apex court has sought the centre’s reply on petitions against order to ban FDC drugs manufactured before 1988.

Painkiller Saridon and skin cream Panderm were among 328 FDC drugs banned by the government to stop their “irrational use”.

The health ministry while banning the drugs had said the ingredients in these medicines do not add to the benefits that people can get from taking them.

The country’s drug advisory body, Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), backed the centre’s decision saying there is no therapeutic justification for the ingredients in these drugs and they must be banned in public interest.

Major pharma companies while challenging the centre’s decision has claimed that the only reason given in the government’s notification was that the combination had “no therapeutic value”.

—India Legal Bureau