India ask US govt to intervene to resolve Ranbaxy-FDA issue

NEW DELHI: India has sought the intervention of the US government in the case of Ranbaxy Laboratories, which is fighting the charges of fraudulent misconduct, levelled by the Department of Justice (DoJ), in district court of Maryland.

"Since this is an important issue concerning a leading Indian company, I would solicit your intervention and request you to have the matter resolved at the earliest," Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said in a letter written to US Health Department Secretary Micheal O Leavitt.

Paswan said the Indian pharmaceutical industry for many years has been providing high quality generic medicines to countries and population across the world.

Assuring that Ranbaxy has not been involved in any 'wrongdoing', Paswan said: "The company is prepared fully to cooperate with the US authorities and anxiously awaits an amicable resolution of its issues with the FDA and the DoJ."

Seeking support from External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Paswan, in another letter asked the ministry to take up the matter with the US counterparts.

"I would request you to kindly have this matter followed up by the Indian embassy in the US on priority to facilitate an earlier resolution of the matter," Paswan said.