Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Prohibits Manufacture, Sale and Distribution of 16 Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs) in Public Interest

• Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) issued gazette notifications on 20 June 2026 banning manufacture, sale and distribution of 16 FDCs for human use with immediate effect, invoking Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
• Action follows a Supreme Court-mandated comprehensive review of FDCs sold in India, executed through the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB).
• Important for UPSC because it ties together drug regulation architecture (CDSCO, DTAB, DCGI), Centre-State legislative split on drugs (Concurrent List Entry 19), rational drug use, and judicial intervention in public health.