You can still buy Vicks Action 500, D'Cold, Corex

In a huge relief to pharmaceutical companies, the Delhi High Court on Monday decided to lift the ban temporarily on the sale of medicines including Corex cough syrup, Piriton expectorant, Vicks Action 500 extra, D'Cold, Saridon, Ascoril and Alex cough syrups, Phensedyl cough syrup and Alembic's Glycodin cough syrup.

The High court will hear the case on next Monday.

Few days back, the Central government had banned 344 drug combinations over the weekend, including Abbott's codeine-based cough syrup, after a government panel found they had 'no therapeutic justification'.

The Health Ministry has banned 344 'Fixed Dose Combination' (FDC) drugs, leading to an immediate suspension of the manufacturing and sale of some popular medicines in India.

Following the government ban, pharmaceutical major Pfizer has discontinued manufacture and sale of Corex with immediate effect. Fixed dose combination drugs are combinations of two or more active drugs in a single dose form.

The 22 healthcare companies have sought quashing of the government's March 10 notification banning over 300 FDC drugs, including cough syrup compositions on the ground that they involve "risk" to humans and safer alternatives were available.