Supreme Court lifts ban on Saridon, major relief to Piramal

New Delhi: In a major relief to Piramal, the Supreme Court has exempted the popular painkiller drug Saridon from the list of Fixed Dose Combinations (FDC) banned by the government last year. The drug will now continue to be sold freely as the company announces the lift of the ban imposed.

In a regulatory filing, the company said the apex court has ruled in favour of Saridon, which is a heritage brand from its healthcare product portfolio.

"In September 2018, PEL had been awarded a stay order from the Supreme Court on the ban, which allowed it to continue manufacturing, distribution and sale of the FDC," it said.

Commenting on the court order, PEL Executive Director Nandini Piramal said, "We are pleased with the Supreme Court ruling, as it is an affirmation to our commitment to provide effective and safe healthcare solutions that address unique needs of Indian consumers. We were confident that the law would prevail in our favour."

Also Read: 328 FDC Medicines banned over safety concern: Health Ministry Notification

Last year in September, the government had banned 328 FDCs, which were termed 'irrational' on the basis of safety issues and lack of therapeutic justification.

Stating that Saridon is a "heritage brand trusted by customers for the last 50 years in India", Piramal said, "This exemption from the banned list of FDCs validates our intent to serve our customers with the highest levels of integrity."

Piramal further said, "We continue to expand our healthcare product portfolio with an aim to be amongst the top three over-the-counter (OTC) product companies in India by 2020".

Citing a study by AC Neilson, PEL said the addressable analgesic market is Rs 6,450 crore, of which analgesic tablet market is Rs 2,050 crore as of December 2018. The popularity of the brand is widespread with 31 tablets being sold every second.

Also Read: Health Minsitry bans 328 FDC Banned Drugs, check out the complete list