The Madras High Court has once again postponed the hearing on the interim stay allowed by the court on banned drugs case on March 15. The next hearing on the issue will be held on April 26.

In the stay order dated March 15, the Madras High Court 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 that were found to make adverse effects on human health.

This is the second time the court has postponed the hearing in the case. Earlier, on March 31 the court had postponed the hearing to April 18 as the respondents, the health ministry and the DCGI, did not appear in the court on March 31.

Meanwhile, the postponement of further hearing on the case will give more time 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.

Earlier on March 23, the court had merged this CIPI case with another similar case filed by pharma major Cipla Ltd.

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.