Interim stay on order suspending manufacture of 14 Patanjali drugs

An interim stay was placed on Friday on the implementation of an order suspending manufacturing licences of more than a dozen products from Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and Divya Pharmacy.

"The interim stay is being imposed with immediate effect on the basis of a preliminary inquiry report of a high-level committee", Pankaj Kumar Pandey, secretary Ayush, Uttarakhand government, said in an order.

"The order of the suspension is illegal and should not have been passed by the licensing authority in the manner it has been passed," the committee looking into the matter said in its report. The firms had challenged last month's suspension order by the Uttarakhand state licensing authority.

"Since the licence has been cancelled without following the procedure established by law, the committee is submitting its report to the government of Uttarakhand for appropriate decision," it said.

The state licensing authority, Ayurvedic and Unani services, had suspended the manufacturing licence of 14 Patanjali products last month under Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1945 and Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954.

The medicines whose manufacturing licence had been suspended included Swasari Gold, Swasari Vati, Bronchom, Swasari Pravahi, Swasari Avaleh, Mukta Vati Extra Power, Lipidom, BP Grit, Madhugrit, Madhunashini Vati Extra Power, Livamrit Advance, Livogrit, Eyegrit Gold and Patanjali Drishti Eyedrop.