Centre bans 328 combination medicines

The Union Health Ministry has decided to ban 328 combination medicines based on the recommendations of Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB). It also restricted the manufacture, sale and distribution of six other combination medicines.

According DTAB, these 328 combination medicines, known as fixed dose combinations (FDCs), must be banned as it lacks therapeutic and these combinations may be risky for patients.

The ban is expected to cut back over Rs.1,500 crore from India’s Rs.1.18 lakh crore pharmaceutical industry. The brands that would face the brunt include Piramal’s Saridon, Macleods Pharma’s Panderm Plus cream and Alkem Laboratories’ Taxim AZ.

The latest ban does not include previously banned cough syrups and cold medicines. These belong to combinations manufactured in India from before 1988.