In Brief
Union of India challenged a High Court judgment quashing a government notification that restricted the manufacture and distribution of Oxytocin, a drug vital for preventing postpartum haemorrhage in childbirth. Private pharmaceutical companies had challenged the notification, arguing it lacked scientific basis. The High Court agreed, finding insufficient evidence that the drug's existing distribution posed a risk to human or animal life. The Supreme Court found these issues involved far-reaching implications requiring comprehensive consideration of competing interests: preventing clandestine manufacture and misuse in animals versus ensuring continued supply of an essential life-saving maternal health drug. The Court referred the case to a larger bench for authoritative guidance.
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