Supreme Court Orders Review of Pharmaceutical Marketing Regulation

The Supreme Court on 8 October directed the Union government to constitute within two weeks a committee to examine unethical pharmaceutical marketing practices and the adequacy of existing regulation. Acting under Articles 32 and 142, the Court linked the issue to the constitutional right to health. The committee must consult petitioners, intervenors and other stakeholders, may seek expert assistance, and should recommend a regulatory or statutory framework addressing transparency, accountability, monitoring and enforcement. It must aim to complete the exercise within two months of its first meeting. The government must then take a reasoned decision and file a compliance affidavit covering the committee’s constitution, consultations, progress, recommendations and proposed measures. The Court retained the case for review on 29 January 2027.