The Madras High Court has postponed the hearing on the interim stay of the  court dated March 15 in which it had allowed 15 days time to the drug companies to liquidate the stocks of nimesulide suspension and Phenylpropanolamine (PPA), which were banned in the country on February 10 this year by the union health ministry along with some other drugs. The next hearing on the issue will be held on April 18.

The court decided to postpone the hearing as the respondents, the health ministry and the DCGI, did not appear in the court on March 31.  The postponement of the hearing of the case will give more time, at least till April 18, to the drug companies to liquidate their stocks of these banned drugs. A petition on this issue was filed by Confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Industries (CIPI), an association of thousands of small pharma companies in the country.

In another significant development, the court has merged this CIPI case with another similar case filed by pharma major Cipla Ltd on March 23.

Hearing the petition filed by Cipla on March 23, the Madras High court had stayed the entire notification of the ministry (GSR 82 E) dated February 10, 2011 in which it had banned six of the most controversial drugs in the country with immediate effect. These drugs included the non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug nimesulide (below 12 years age), gastroprokinetic agent Cisapride, decongestant drug Phenylpropanolamine (PPA), human placenta extracts, Sibutramine & its formulations and R-Sibutramine & its formulations.

In a gazette notification dated February 10, the ministry had banned these controversial drugs due to its adverse effects on human health.The ministry's decision in this regard was based on the recommendations of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), which is the highest decision-making body under the union health ministry on technical matters and its recommendations are normally followed by the ministry. Earlier, the DCGI had brought these controversial drugs under the radar of the DTAB in the wake of serious concern raised by the medical experts in the country over the side-effects of these drugs.