Staff Reporter :The High Court on Monday ordered 34 pharmaceutical companies in the country to withdraw their sub-standard medicines from the markets. The court also asked the authorities concerned to stop production and marketing of life saving drugs of 20 companies and antibiotic medicines of 14 companies.The High Court bench comprising Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice Kazi Md Izarul Huq Akondo passed the order following the hearing of a petition filled by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB). The court asked the Health Secretary, Director General of Health Department and Director of Drug Administration Department to submit a report within two weeks in this regard. The 20 companies that asked to stop production of drugs are: Aexim Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Avert Pharma Ltd, Bikolpo Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Dolphin Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Drugland Ltd, Globe Laboratories (pvt) Ltd, Jalpha Laboratories Ltd, Kafma Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Medico Pharmaceuticals Ltd, National Drug Pharma Ltd, North Bengal Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Remo Chemicals Ltd (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 other companies are: Ad Din Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Alkad Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Belsen Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Bengal Drugs Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Bistol Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Crystal Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Indo Bangla Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Millat Pharmaceuticals Ltd, MST Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Orbit Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Pharmatik Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Phoenix Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Rasa Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Save Pharmaceuticals Ltd.The HRPB filed a petition with the HC saying that the licenses of these pharmaceutical companies should be cancelled as they have failed to produce standard medicines. Advocate Manzil Murshid filed the petition on behalf of the HRPB on June 5 this year. The HRPB filed the writ petition upon an expert committee, formed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Health Ministry in August 2014, recommended revoking the licenses of 34 drug companies that repeatedly failed to follow the good manufacturing practices (GMP). The committee headed by Professor ABM Faruque of University of Dhaka presented the report on 84 drug producing companies on April 20. According to the report, the drugs manufacturing without following the GMP might cause fatal damage to health.
