SC adjourns for two weeks plea seeking CBI case against pharma firms

The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned for two weeks hearing on a plea seeking registration of an FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against ten Indian pharmaceutical firms for manufacturing and selling Remdesivir and Favipiravir, allegedly as medicines to treat COVID-19 patients, without valid licences.

A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde told advocate ML Sharma, who has filed the plea, that there are rules framed by the Government of India for the new drugs and clinical trials.

"We are adjourning this matter you see the rule and come back," the bench said while adjourning the matter for two weeks.

Remdesivir and Favipiravir are antiviral drugs, however, their efficacy in treating COVID-19 patients has been a matter of debate among medical experts.

The plea alleged that the medicines are being manufactured and sold for treating COVID-19 patients without valid licences from the Central Drugs Standard Control Orgsation.

Sharma, through his plea, sought prosecution of the Indian compes for cheating and criminal conspiracy besides under the provisions of the Drug Act, 1940 and said that these medicines have not been certified as medicines for COVID-19 till date by any country.

It said that the compes are manufacturing and selling them at very high rates in India and people are paying that due to the fear of COVID-19 infection and are dying.

It claimed that more than 300 doctors have died in hospitals where these two medicines have been supplied and it amounted to "exploitation of public due to the fear of death."

( With inputs from ANI )