HC allows sale of 2 banned drugs to exhaust stock

NEW DELHI: The Chennai High Court on Tuesday allowed local drug-makers to sell two medicines banned by the Indian government for another four weeks, acting on a plea of small pharmaceutical companies that can now exhaust those products with their stockists and chemists.

The court order has temporarily stayed the ban on sale of nimesulide for use by children below 12 years and nasal congestion drug phenylpropanolamine (PPA) that have combined sales of about Rs 30-40 crore a year, said T S Jaishankar, chairman at industry body representing small drug-makers Confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Industry.

However, companies cannot dispatch new batches or resume production. The association will now move the court to remove the ban on the drugs altogether.

On February 10, the government had prohibited sale and manufacture of gastrointestinal drug cisapride and medicines made from human placental extract, besides the two medicines immediately due to adverse side effects.