No coercive steps against drug firms for FDCs already in market, says HC

The Delhi High Court said Tuesday that no coercive steps be taken against drug companies for FDCs already in market, subject to stopping of their manufacturing.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru granted the relief to some drug manufacturers after they approached the high court.

It had said earlier that no coercive steps be taken against Indian pharma major Wockhardt for sale of stock, already in the market, of its anti-inflammatory medicine which has been banned, subject to the company stopping further production of the drug.

The court, in an interim order, had said the medicine, one of 328 fixed dose combination (FDC) drugs banned by the Centre a week ago, has been in the market for past 11 years and its stocks would already be in the distribution network.

The ministry by its September 7 notification had banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of 328 FDC drugs. FDCs are two or more drugs combined in a fixed ratio into a single dosage form.