Take a call on banned combination medicines: SC to drugs advisory board

The companies can make and sell the 349 contested fixed-dose combination drugs (FDCs) while the statutory body deliberates on the issue, media reports

In a relief to drugmakers, the Supreme Court has asked Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) to take a call on more than 300 combination medicines banned by the Centre between March 2016 and June 2017, according to a report.

The drugmakers had claimed that the government did not consult DTAB before taking the ban decision.

Meanwhile, the companies can make and sell the 349 contested fixed-dose combination drugs (FDCs) while the statutory body deliberates on the issue, reports the Economic Times.

The apex court also clarified that the directive is specific to two of the banned notifications issued by the government because of the "peculiar facts" of the cases.

The bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Rohinton Fali Nariman said that it was setting aside the ban on 15 such drugs which were manufactured in India before 1988, the report said.