Reckitt Benkiser agreed to a price review by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) on its popular product Itch Guard. However, it wants this review fast.
In front of the Delhi High Court bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar, the petitioner’s counsel senior advocate Kapil Sibal submitted on May 26 that according to the order in the review petition, they accepted they were wrong. They committed the same mistake again, by “not taking into account my market share which is 19.5%. There is no point going into review as they have accepted. We want to implement the review order. That’s all what we want.”
The counsel for the respondent said: “Once the authority (the NPPA) fixes the ceiling price, it has to be complied with.”
It was explained that any product (drug) that enjoys a one percent market share needs to comply with pricing norms. A review takes four weeks, but in the meantime the pricing control should be maintained, the respondent said.
It was explained that the pricing structure was as follows: Ceiling price is Rs 2.49 per gram. Earlier it was 2.36 per gram. The price has gone up by 13 paisa. This is the review order which is being challenged. The plaintiffs want a quick review order which they want to put in effect by June 6.
Matter adjourned to June 2.
—India Legal Bureau