HC cancels licences of 20 drug cos
The High Court (HC) yesterday cancelled the licences of 20 pharmaceutical companies, which have been found guilty of producing substandard drugs. It also directed the government to stop 14 more pharmaceutical companies from producing antibiotics as they do not produce quality drugs.
The HC bench comprising Justice Syed Md Dastagir Husain and Justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan came up with the order after disposing of a writ petition filed by the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB). The HC bench also directed the government to form a five-member committee, headed by a representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), to ensure that the order was implemented and asked it to submit a report before the court after every three months.
The government has been ordered to stop the production of medicines by the following 20 companies: Axim Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Avert Pharma Ltd, Bikalpo Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Dolphin Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Drugland Ltd, Globe Laboratories (Pvt.) Ltd, Jalfa Laboratories Ltd of Sylhet, Kafma Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Medico Pharmaceuticals Ltd, National Drug Pharma Ltd, North Bengal Laboratories, Remo Chemicals (Pharma Division), Rid Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Skylab Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Spark Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Star Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Sunipun Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Today Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Tropical Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Universal Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
The 14 drug manufacturing companies that have been directed to stop the production of antibiotics are: Ad Din Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Alkad Laboratories Ltd, Belsen Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Bengal Drugs Chemicals (Pharma) Ltd, Bristol Pharma Ltd, Crystal Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Indo-Bangla Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Millat Pharmaceuticals Ltd, MST Pharma Healthcare Ltd, Orbit Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Pharmik Laboratories Ltd, Phoenix Chemical Laboratory (pvt) Ltd, Rasa Pharmaceuticals Ltd, and Save Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
A body formed by the parliamentary standing committee on health had recommended in August 2014 that the licences of 20 drug companies, which had repeatedly failed to follow good manufacturing practices (GMP), be revoked.
On June 7 last year, acting on a petition filed by the HRPB, the HC ordered the government to stop within seven days these 20 pharmaceutical companies from producing drugs and 14 others from manufacturing antibiotics.
The companies moved the Appellate Division against this verdict. On June 15, the Appellate Division upheld the HC verdict.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice SK Sinha, passed the order after disposing of four separate appeals from as many companiesUniversal Pharmaceutical Ltd, MST Pharma, Ad-din Pharmaceuticals Ltd, and Cristal Pharmaseeking a stay on the HC order.
The apex court also directed the HC to dispose of the three rules issued by it in this regard by August 18. The HRPB filed a supplementary petition in HC on June 30, saying that the medicines of the 34 companies were still present in the market. After hearing the HRPBs petition, the HC bench asked the health secretary, the director general of the health department, the director of drug administration and the general secretary of the Bangladesh Drug Industries Society to act on the court order at once. On August 8, the HC directed the government to withdraw the drugs produced by the 20 pharmaceutical companies concerned and the antibiotics of 14 more from the market. The court also ordered the government to immediately stop these companies from producing medicines. But the government is yet to act on it.
