The Supreme Court has sought Centre's response on a PIL challenging the fixing of ceiling price of essential medicines on the basis of market rates under national pharmaceutical pricing policy. A bench comprising justices GS Singhvi and V Gopala Gowda agreed to examine the validity of the new policy.

The PIL alleged that the new policy will result in increase of prices of essential and non-essential drugs. It said, under the new policy, the margin of profit for drug manufacturer and dealer has become 10-1,300 per cent.

The petitioner sought apex court's direction to the Centre to continue with cost based ceiling prices of all essential drugs.

The PIL also contended that National List of Essential Drugs consists of only 348 drugs and left out many essential medicines from price control.

The petitioner sought direction to the Centre to bring medicines specially used in HIV AIDS, cancer, mental health, chronic non-communicable diseases like asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, under price control mechanism.