In a major relief for Piramal Enterprises, the Supreme Court exempted painkiller Saridon from the list of banned FDCs (Fixed Dose Combinations) in India. The health ministry had banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of 328 fixed dose combinations (FDCs) of drugs in September last year. The ban included popular drugs like painkiller Saridon, skin cream Panderm, combination diabetes drug Gluconorm PG, antibiotic Lupidiclox and antibacterial Taxim AZ. Several popular cough syrups, painkillers and cold medicines are combination drugs, containing two or more therapeutic ingredients in a single dose.
Saridon is marketed by Piramal to treat headaches. The tablet is the largest selling painkiller in India with sales of nearly Rs 100 crore.