India, June 21 -- The Centre has prohibited the manufacture, sale and distribution of 16 fixed-dose combination (FDC) drugs, saying they lack "therapeutic justification" and their continued use was not considered beneficial in relation to the potential risks involved.

The move, the Union Health Ministry said, was to safeguard public health and promote rational use of medicines while ensuring only effective and scientifically validated medicines are available to the public.

FDC drugs are those which contain a combination of two or more active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in a fixed ratio.

The decision follows a review of FDCs undertaken in compliance with the Supreme Court's directions. The Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) had...