Ban on selling 14 Patanjali medicines lifted in GB Nagar

The drug regulator of Uttarakhand had suspended the manufacturing licenses for these items, citing “misleading advertisements” about their efficacy

NOIDA: After the Uttarakhand government lifted prohibitions on the sale of 14 Patanjali-manufactured ayurvedic medicines, the same can now be sold and freely transported across Gautam Budh Nagar district, officials at Gautam Budh Nagar’s regional ayurvedic and unani department informed on Friday.

GB Nagar’s department has informed medical facilities, pharmacies, operating within the district that the medicines are no longer under legal ban. (HT Photo)

The medicines are now available for sale and transportation without any limitations, the officials added.

“The state drug licensing authority, ayurvedic and unani services, Uttarakhand, had in April 2024, suspended the licenses of 14 Patanjali products for not complying with Supreme Court’s rule with regard to misleading advertisements. However, the government has now lifted the ban from the restricted medicines, following a response from the company. Based on the orders received, the ban from 14 medicines has been lifted for now,” said Dharmendra Kumar Kaim, regional ayurvedic and unani officer, Gautam Budh Nagar.

Sale of 14 medicines — Swasri Gold, Swasari Vati, Bronchom, Swasari Pravahi, Swasri, Avaleh, Madhu Grit, Lipidom, Ehegrit Gold, Patanjali Drishti eye drop, among others—manufactured by Divya Pharmacy and Patanjali Ayurveda Limited, was banned in July in Gautam Budh Nagar.

“Following the Uttarkhand government directives issued on August 8, all medical practitioners, pharmacies, medical stores and similar facilities operating in the district are informed that they can now resume the sale, transportation and production of the 14 drugs,” the GB Nagar officer added.

GB Nagar’s department has informed medical facilities, pharmacies, operating within the district that the medicines are no longer under legal ban.

To be sure, the Supreme Court had directed Patanjali Ayurveda Limited, founded by yoga guru Ramdev, to file an affidavit on July 9 stating whether advertisements of its 14 products -- whose manufacturing licenses were initially suspended but later restored -- were withdrawn.

Following the ban that turned effective in April, the regional ayurvedic and unani office, Gautam Budh Nagar, had issued a directive banning the products in the district until further orders.

This move is expected to benefit consumers and practitioners of traditional medicine, who can now access these products without hindrance.

District regional ayurvedic and unani office, had in March, banned at least 30 ayurveda pills and powders that were being sold through retail shops in Gautam Budh Nagar, after tests found them to be “spurious” and “adulterated”. Several of them had compositions of allopathic drugs such as steroids prednisolone and betamethasone, anti-inflammatory painkiller diclofenac, and diabetes medicine glimepiride, among others.