Govt bars Abbott from withdrawing stent to maintain uninterrupted supply

The  Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has barred drug maker Abbott from withdrawing its Xience Alpine coronary stent from the market. The government move comes following its directive to companies to maintain an uninterrupted supply of stents.

The DoP order effectively sets aside the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority's (NPPA) decision to allow Abbott to withdraw the Xience Alpine stent for commercial reasons. In an order earlier this week the NPPA allowed Abbott to withdraw the stent over one-year period after issuing a public notice for the same.

In its office memorandum on Friday, DoP said that it had on Wednesday invoked powers under section 3 of the Drug Price Control Order of 2013 and directed companies manufacturing coronary stents to maintain uninterrupted supply for three months from the date of notification.

DoP said that its Thursday's order supersedes the NPPA decision earlier this week and makes it null and void. Abbott has also been directed to submit a weekly report on coronary stents produced and distributed and also submit a weekly production plan to the NPPA and Drug Controller General of India.

Abbott did not immediately comment on the DoP order.

Last month Abbott globally withdrew its bioresorbable stent Absorb citing commercial reasons.