SC lifts ban on sale of painkiller Saridon

Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday lifted the ban on the sale of Saridon after the painkiller was disallowed to be sold by the Central Government last week.
The Central Government has banned 328 combination drugs in a blow to both domestic and foreign pharmaceutical firms, but the ban has been cheered by health activists worried about growing antibiotic resistance due to the misuse of medicines.
The government had in 2016 banned about 350 such drugs, referred to as fixed-dose combinations (FDCs), but the industry mounted various legal challenges that prompted the Supreme Court to call for a review by an advisory board.
Among major drugs recalled were Saridon and Tapfree (painkillers); Ciplas anti-bacterial Oflox OZ; ALKEMs anti-bacterial Taxim AZ; Glycodin cough syrup; Metlifes Panderm; anti-inflammatory drug Proxym XT; Lupins Nizonide used to treat stomach conditions and a range of FDCs with Nimuselide and anti-inflammatory Diclofenac, Cimsulide P (pain relief).