Govt asked to stop antibiotics production at 28 pharmas

The High Court (HC) yesterday ordered the government to stop production and marketing of antibiotics, steroids and cancer drugs of 28 pharmaceuticals within 72 hours.

A high court division bench comprising Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan passed the order, accepting a writ petition filed by advocate Manjil Morshed on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).

The 28 pharmaceuticals are- Amico Pharmaceuticals Limited, Aztec Pharmaceuticals, Bengal Techno Pharma Ltd, Benham Pharmaceuticals, Central Pharmaceuticals, Descent Pharma, Dr. Tims Pharmaceuticals Limited, Globex Pharmaceuticals Limited, Greenland Pharmaceuticals Limited, Inova Pharmaceuticals Limited, Max Drugs Limited, Medi Mate Laboratories, Modern Pharmaceuticals, Mystic Pharmaceuticals, National Laboratories, Organic Health Care Ltd, Wester Pharma, Premier Pharmaceuticals, Prime Pharmaceuticals, Seema Pharmaceuticals, White Horse Pharmaceuticals, Momtaz Pharmaceuticals, Unique Pharmaceuticals, United Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals, FNF Pharmaceuticals, Techo Drugs Ltd's Units 1, 2 and 3.

The court ordered secretaries to the ministries of health and industry,chiefs of the health directorate and consumer rights protection directorate,president of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries, director general of Rapid Action Battalion and the inspector general of police to submit a report on execution of the order, within four weeks.

According to the petitioner, these companies were manufacturing and
marketing medicines without following the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)set up by World Health Organization (WHO).

"This GMP is also accredited in the customary law of our country. So it is not possible to manufacture medicines without following the GMP," Morshed told the newsmen.

Source: BSS