Uttarakhand’s drug regulator suspends licenses for 14 products linked to yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s pharmaceutical firms due to recurrent misleading advertising about their efficacy. The April 15 order, not publicly disclosed but reviewed by Reuters, prompted this action.
A notification dated April 24 reveals that the drug regulator of Uttarakhand has suspended manufacturing licenses for 14 products produced by Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved, citing misleading advertisements regarding their efficacy.
Patanjali Faces Legal Scrutiny Over Misleading COVID-19 Claims:
The Uttarakhand government’s undisclosed order indicates that licenses have been suspended for repeatedly publishing misleading advertisements about the effectiveness of these medications.
The Supreme Court has recently rebuked self-styled yoga guru and Patanjali Ayurved co-founder Ramdev multiple times for failing to adhere to its orders to cease misleading advertisements of certain products. On Tuesday, April 30, the apex court will deliberate Patanjali’s case to decide whether to pursue contempt charges against Ramdev.
Today, Indian Medical Association (IMA) president Dr. RV Asokan clarified the association’s decision to take Patanjali to court, stating that Ramdev “crossed a red line” by claiming he could cure COVID-19 while disparaging modern medicine. Asokan, in an interview with news agency PTI, emphasized that Ramdev’s statement labeling “modern medicine” as “stupid and bankrupt science” contradicted medical ethics.
The Supreme Court recently considered the IMA’s 2022 plea, accusing a smear campaign against the COVID vaccination drive and modern medicine systems. In a 2021 video, Ramdev allegedly remarked, “Allopathy is a stupid science,” asserting that drugs like Remdesivir and Fabiflu, approved by the Drugs Controller General of India, were ineffective in treating COVID-19 patients.
His comments sparked widespread outrage, prompting the IMA to send him a legal notice. Last month, the court directed Ramdev, his associate Acharya Balakrishnan, and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd to issue a public apology for non-compliance with its directives regarding misleading advertisements.
During an April 23 hearing, the court criticized the petitioner, the IMA, highlighting that its members also endorse unnecessary and costly medications, citing numerous grievances regarding the IMA’s unethical behavior.
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