The Uttarakhand drug regulatory authority has suspended the manufacturing licences of 14 products sold under the Patanjali Ayurved brand, accusing the firm of “still running misleading advertisements on various social media platforms”.

The drug licensing authority told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that it had suspended the licences of 14 products that Patanjali Ayurved has promoted as treatments for high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular ailments, eye problems and liver disorders, among other health conditions.

In an affidavit submitted in the court, the authority shared a letter it had sent
to Patanjali Ayurved on April 15 saying the firm had violated drug laws on misleading advertisements “again and again”.

The authority also said it had filed a case against the pharmacy on April 16 and asked three of its officers, including retired employees, to explain their “inaction” against the firm despite complaints dating back to April 2022.

“These actions are encouraging,” said K.V. Babu, an ophthalmologist at Kannur in Kerala, who had first complained about the misleading advertisements to the Centre in April 2022.

“But it is sad that these actions are happening now only after multiple complaints, including one to the Prime Minister’s Office, and after the Supreme Court’s intervention,” he said.

In February, Babu had complained to the Centre, accusing the Uttarakhand state authority of inaction against Patanjali for misleading advertisements despite four directives from the Ayush ministry since April 2022 and an intervention from the PMO. Babu had complained about inaction to the PMO in January.

“Inaction by central and state authorities probably emboldened Patanjali into continuing to promote its products through misleading advertisements even after the firm had received a notice from state authorities,” Babu said.