The Confederation of Consumer Vigilance Centre (CCVC), one among the leading consumer organizations in Kerala, plans extensive campaign against the healthcare products marketed by Conybio, and to file cases in consumer courts against the company in all the 14 districts of the state.
The move follows a recent Kerala High Court decision to dismiss a PIL petition filed by CCVC to direct the State Drug Controller to ban Conybio products in Kerala.
A division bench of the High Court, chaired by Chief Justice N K Sodhi and Justice K. K. Denesan felt it was not agreeable for the court to direct the Government to ban the products marketed by Conybio.
Since CCVC was neither an aggrieved party nor a loser by using any of the products of Conybio, there was no need to accept the petition filed by the consumer organisation. If the organization or its members were any aggrieved parties by using the products of this company, they should approach the nearest consumer courts instead of approaching the apex court, said the bench in its judgment, according to informed sources.
Talking to Pharmabiz.com, A.Ayyappan Nair, general secretary of CCVC, said the organisation would soon start vigorous campaign against Conybio among the public in all the 14 districts of the state. CCVC has branches in some of the districts, and would organize branches in all the other districts. The organisation would campaign among the users of Conybio and would support them to file cases against the company in consumer courts in all the 14 districts.
Further, the organisation would continue to pressurize the Government to bring in necessary legislations to prevent sale of drugs through MLM network and to bring in a framework of ethical business route for such companies.
He said the association would ask the state Drug Controller to take action against Conybio, which is misguiding the public with false propaganda claiming to cure diseases from headache to cancer and marketing more than Rs.18 crore worth health products in Kerala through 600 stockists, at exorbitant prices and unethical MLM marketing methods, said Ayyappan Nair.
The Chennai-based Conybio has been marketing products claimed to cure diabetes, blood pressure, Parkinson's disease, spondylitis, paralysis, piles cancer etc. through Far Infrared Rays, without proven scientific and clinical explanations. The company also markets a host of healthcare products like sunshade to cure migraine and sun stroke, socks for acidity, pillow covers for spondylitis, palm guards for Parkinson's disease, eye-shades for sinusitis, T shirts for high and low blood pressure etc.