Latest news with #Brufen
Business Recorder
20-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
SHC rejects pharma firm's pleas seeking hike in drug prices
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court dismissed two constitutional petitions filed by a leading pharmaceutical company, which requested for the increase of the Maximum Retail Prices (MRP) of certain drugs up to 10 percent instead of 7 percent annually, approved by the DRAP. The verdict, delivered by a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar and Justice Mohammad Abdur Rahman, had the core of the legal dispute originated from a pricing of three commonly used medicines including Brufen (tablet) 200mg, Brufen Suspension 120ml, and Thyronorm (Tablet) 125 mcg. Abbott sought an annual MPR increase of up to 10 percent for the fiscal year 2023-24. The company's argument hinged on the historical categorization of these medicines as 'lower priced drugs' under Rule 10 of the Drug Pricing Policy, which traditionally entitled them to a CPI-linked increase of up to 10 percent. Abbott asserted that it had submitted the required calculations to DRAP on July 1, 2024, and that the authority's failure to issue a decision within the stipulated 30 days should, under Rule 7(2)(ii) of the policy, result in their self-determined revised prices being deemed approved and officially notified. DRAP, represented by the Assistant Attorney General for the Federation of Pakistan, contested this position. The regulatory body asserted that the MRPs of these specific medicines had, over successive years of CPI-linked adjustments, gradually escalated and now surpassed the maximum thresholds prescribed for 'lower priced drugs' under Rule 10(1) of the policy. Consequently, DRAP had reclassified them as 'other drugs,' thereby capping their permissible annual increase at 7 percent instead of the 10 percent sought by Abbott. This reclassification and DRAP's subsequent decision were upheld by its Appellate Board, compelling Abbott Laboratories to seek judicial intervention through the constitutional petitions, specifically challenging DRAP's order dated March 12, 2025, and previous orders from November 7, 2024, as 'illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional, without jurisdiction, malafide, and of no legal effect.' The High Court, in its detailed judgment, rejected Abbott's argument for 'deemed notification' or 'deemed approval.' The court clarified that rules allow for the deemed issuance of revised MRPs only if the submitted calculations are 'in conformity with' and represent 'correct calculations' under the policy. Since Abbott's claim was predicated on categorizing the medicines as 'lower priced drugs' despite their MRPs having already crossed the officially notified thresholds, the court held that Abbott's calculations were not policy-compliant. Addressing Abbott's contention that the same medicines were recognized as 'lower priced drugs' in the preceding year despite exceeding the threshold, the court stated that even if such a regulatory oversight occurred previously, it could not justify repeating the error. The court underlined the legal maxim that 'two wrongs do not make a right,' rejecting the notion that a past administrative lapse could serve as a binding precedent or justification for current policy violations. The court also drew attention to a crucial procedural lapse by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination. The judgment noted that under Rule 10(2) of the Drug Pricing Policy, the Ministry is legally obligated to revise the thresholds for lower-priced drugs annually in accordance with CPI changes. This statutory requirement, the court observed, had not been fulfilled, thereby indirectly contributing to pricing, however, because Abbott Laboratories had not directly challenged this specific omission in its petitions, the court refrained from issuing a definitive order on this matter due to jurisdictional limitations. Nonetheless, the court acknowledged that the issue 'warrants attention' and granted Abbott Laboratories the liberty to pursue this concern independently before the Ministry or any other competent legal forum. The court directed that any such representation filed by Abbott in this regard must be decided upon by the respondent within 60 days. The Sindh High Court found no merit in Abbott Laboratories' plea for a 10 percent price increase. It upheld the decisions of DRAP and its Appellate Board as 'legally correct,' given the undisputed fact that as of July 1, 2024, the MRPs of the disputed medicines had indeed exceeded the thresholds specified for lower-priced drugs, thereby disqualifying them from such categorization. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
7NEWS
07-06-2025
- Health
- 7NEWS
Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton makes deeply personal admission about AFL life
Hawthorn champion and premiership hero Dermott Brereton has made a sad and disturbing admission about the deteriorating state of his body. The former glamour forward, who played in five flags for Hawthorn during a glittering career throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, says he is often in crippling pain and sometimes in tears. 'Some mornings my beautiful partner Julie has to put on my shoes and socks for me,' Brereton said during a function at the MCG. 'With the pain in my spine, where they put in a cage inserted there, I can't reach. I just can't put on socks and shoes. 'Some days I have to walk down the stairs sideways because I haven't any cartilage — bone on bone, that is — for 40 years. 'Some days I can't shake hands with other men, and if they do so, I fear they'll re-open some of the broken bones in my hands from defenders' spoils and from when (a rival player) jumped on my hand deliberately. 'Some days I have to crab my way down the stairs because my often half-a-dozen times reconstructed ankle will not flex any more.' The pain Brereton detailed belies his often happy-go-lucky exterior and jovial commentating style. It's also taken a heavy mental on the former AFL wrecking ball. 'Some days I double up from rancid heartburn from the endless dosages of (painkillers and anti-inflammatories),' he said. He said indomethacin or Indocin 'used to rip the guts out of you' and he had also poured into his body large quantities of Brufen and Voltaren over the past 40 years. 'Some nights I sleep very little because of the arthritis in my shoulder joints. That's from decades of lifting as heavy weights as I could, purely because the position I played required it,' Brereton said. 'Some mornings, I pathetically allow myself to become melancholy and even teary over the degeneration and the physical toll that football has taken on my body. 'I often ask myself, in that moment of true misery, when I can't move, that moment of weakness, I'll ask myself, 'Was it worth it?'. 'And the answer's always the same. I'd do it all over again, exactly the same again. 'Maybe next time, though in the next lifetime, I might go a little harder.' At the end of 1993, Brereton joined the Sydney Swans for the 1994 season and then played 15 games for Collingwood in 1995. He finished his career with 211 games but will always be remembered as a Hawthorn great. In 1999 he was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame and he has since become a highly regarded football commentator.
The Age
06-06-2025
- Health
- The Age
‘I just can't put on socks and shoes': Dermott Brereton's crippling legacy
'To be honest with you, Tim, Essendon and our [mid-'80s] battles took you to the edge of safety, and, for me, that is always where you get the best view of life,' Brereton said. The Hawks legend explained his use of anti-inflammatory medications thus: 'Some days I double up from rancid heartburn from the endless dosages of – remember [Indocin]... Timmy, that used to rip the guts out of you, Brufen, Voltaren, all taken for over 40 years,' Brereton said. 'Some nights I sleep very little because of the arthritis in my shoulder joints. That's from decades of lifting as heavy weights as I could, purely because the position I played required it. 'Some mornings, I pathetically allow myself to become melancholy and even teary over the degeneration and the physical toll that football has taken on my body.' Brereton said he had often questioned himself on whether, given the toll on his body, if his career had been worth the price. 'I often ask myself, in that moment of true misery, when I can't move, that moment of weakness, I'll ask myself – was it worth it? 'And the answer's always the same. I'd do it all over again, exactly the same again. Maybe next time, though in the next lifetime, I might go a little harder.' Brereton told of how he had regularly been treated with epidurals at the height of his playing career. '[In the years] '86-87, '88-89, those 22-game seasons, three times a year, on average, after a game on a Saturday, on a Sunday morning I'd go to Vimy House, I'd have an epidural at 8am and lie in bed until four, then the cab would come and pick me up and take me home. And I kept doing it.' Loading Brereton had said that football had given him so much – discipline, 'A lifetime of employment, it's given me a small dose of fame, occasionally given me romance. It's given me a small amount of wealth – that's gone, I know where it went, actually. 'It has given me great friendships. It's given me my life's greatest mentor – Allan [Jeans, his Hawthorn coach]. And it has given me a purpose. 'But it's also taken away something very dear to me.' Watson's speech drew constant laughter, as when the Bomber great recounted how he left Dimboola for Melbourne, aged 15, after Essendon officials assured his mother that he would be housed by a church-going, non-drinking, non-smoking family in Niddrie. 'We went about two miles, [chairman of selectors] Teddy Fordham went to the boot, got an Esky out, each of them had a can, [and] Teddy lit up a cigar. Then, I heard [official] Kevin Egan say to the other two, 'Where's the little prick going to stay?'' Brereton's revelations about his physical struggles are in line with La Trobe University research – cited by the AFL Players' Association – that 76 per cent of past players had experienced serious injuries in football while 64 per cent of those who reported serious injuries are still affected in daily life. Since 2017, more than 1150 past V/AFL and AFLW players have been reimbursed for costs from joint surgeries and dental injuries.
Business Upturn
30-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Mangalore Refinery secures US patent for Iso-Butyl Benzene production technology
By Aman Shukla Published on May 30, 2025, 16:57 IST Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) has been awarded a United States patent for its method of preparing iso-Butyl Benzene (i-BB), a key intermediate used in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The patented process, developed in-house, had previously received recognition through an Indian patent. The patented method centers on a side-chain alkylation process that converts a low-value captive stream into iso-Butyl Benzene using a specially engineered catalyst. This catalyst, developed at MRPL's Innovation Centre, is designed to achieve high conversion efficiency and selectivity toward the i-BB product. Iso-Butyl Benzene is an essential raw material in the synthesis of Brufen (ibuprofen), a commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). By developing this production process domestically, MRPL aims to reduce dependence on imported intermediates and enhance self-reliance in pharmaceutical ingredient supply. As part of its scale-up efforts, MRPL is currently establishing a pilot plant for i-BB production. This facility will support the transition from laboratory development to commercial-scale manufacturing. The patent and ongoing pilot-scale activities reflect MRPL's focus on advancing technologies relevant to the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors, supporting India's broader goals in local manufacturing and process innovation. Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Time of India
Painkiller tablets worth Rs 4.9 lakh go missing from locked container truck in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: In a strange incident of theft, miscreants stole painkiller tablets worth Rs 4.9 lakh from a closed container truck that was transporting medicines from Goa to Bengaluru recently. According to the complaint filed by Basavaraj, 53, manager of a transport company (Surat Goods Transport Pvt Ltd), the theft occurred between 6pm on May 9 and 12pm on May 12. The painkiller Brufen was being transported by Abbott India Pvt Ltd from Goa to Bengaluru's Nayandahalli branch. A container truck, owned and driven by Shahi Kumar G, was loaded with around 567 boxes of various types of medicines, including Brufen 400 mg tablets. The theft came to light when Kumar took the truck to the Nayandahalli branch at around 12pm on May 12. The staff found only 517 boxes of medicines. When Basavaraj enquired Kumar about the missing boxes, he said while coming to Bengaluru, he parked the truck near Bankapura toll in Haveri around 3am on May 10 and slept in the truck until 7am. On the same day, around 4pm, he reached Bengaluru and drove the truck to his house in Bommanahalli near Nelamangala and parked it on the roadside. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Since May 11 was a Sunday and the company was closed, he rested at his house and then drove the truck to the company. He claims he does not know when the boxes were stolen. However, the container lock was intact. Basavaraj told police that they checked the CCTV footage near Banakapura toll and near Kumar's house, but did not find any clues. This led to a delay in filing the complaint. He further stated that each box of tablets was worth Rs 9,800, and the total value of the stolen boxes is around Rs 4.9 lakh. A senior officer said the case was registered on May 20. "We are investigating the case from all angles. Kumar is also being subjected to questioning."
