P&G to challenge Indian ban on Vicks Action 500 Extra (updated)

Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care

15/03/2016 18:31

(Adds further comment from company; changes headline) 
    MUMBAI, March 15 (Reuters) - U.S. consumer health group 
Procter & Gamble's  PG.N  Indian business plans to challenge a 
government ban on its cough-and-cold medicine Vicks Action 500 
Extra, citing potential health risks. 
    Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care  PROC.NS  said that 
while it had stopped selling the product, it was evaluating all 
options to challenge the ban. 
    Vicks Action 500 Extra is a fixed-dose combination of 
paracetamol, phenylephrine and caffeine, which was banned by 
India's health ministry in a notice issued over the weekend.  
    The product was one of 344 drug combinations, including 
several antibiotics and analgesics, that India ordered to be 
prohibited, saying that a government-appointed panel of experts 
had found the combinations lacked "therapeutic justification". 
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N16M1CY 
    P&G said that all its products, including Vicks Action 500 
Extra, were backed by research to support their quality, safety 
and efficacy. 
    It wasn't immediately clear how much the product contributed 
to P&G's sales. 
 
 (Reporting by Zeba Siddiqui in Mumbai; Editing by Gopakumar 
Warrier and David Goodman) 
 ((zeba.siddiqui@thomsonreuters.com; +91-9769624550; Reuters 
Messaging: zeba.siddiqui.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: PROCTER GAMBLE INDIA/BAN