FDA pulled up for Remdesivir supply in Vidarbha
The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, on Wednesday, rapped the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for not being able to make a statement, when inquired by the court, on whether pharmaceutical companies that are supposed to supply drug Remdesivir to Vidarbha region are supplying as per the quota.
A division bench of Justice Sunil B Shukre and Justice Avinash G Gharote was hearing a suo motu public interest litigation on the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nagpur and Vidarbha.
The bench inquired whether the seven pharma companies are finishing their quota of supply, as it has been given the understanding that each of these has supplied the drug to Vidarbha as per the quota of supply up to May 9.
When the representative for FDA was unable to make a submission in this regard, the bench asked, “You are not aware? You should have all these figures on your fingertips.” It asked the agency what the point is of uploading the data on its website everyday if it is unable to make a statement in court.
The bench remarked, “They should have this information. One doesn’t know why they are playing hide and seek if data is uploaded everyday on the website.”
Justice Gharote remarked that the agency is ‘totally blank’ about the matter. On being queried till what date the updating has been done, it was informed by the FDA representative that it is updated till May 4. On being asked further what the situation till May 4 is, the representative could not make a statement and the court said, “Very, very sorry state of affairs. If the data is daily uploaded on your website, then it is a click of a button. If you are not aware, then imagine the plight of the common man. He will be at a loss to understand what the figures are.”
Advocates representing pharmaceutical companies then made submissions that they have made the due compliance of supplies till May 9, except one, which said it is due to supply over 6,700 vials of the around 80,000 Remdesivir vials and would be doing so by May 16.