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Is Cheston Cold banned in India?

Last checked 3 November 2026

Cheston Cold. Status: Original formula banned (Aug 2024).
Banned or prohibited

The cetirizine + paracetamol + phenylephrine tablet sold as Cheston Cold has been prohibited in India since 2 Aug 2024 (S.O. 3385(E)); retailer listings of that formula show it out of stock.

Classification
Prohibited under Section 26A, Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940
Decided by
CDSCO / Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Reference
S.O. 3385(E), 2 Aug 2024 (serial No. 101 of the CDSCO list of 156 prohibited FDCs)
Evidence
Government document
Latest action
3 November 2026
Last checked
3 November 2026
See the source Report a mistake

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Primary government sourceTier 1: government primary source

Goa DFDA circular: 156 FDCs banned (copy of Gazette list)

CDSCO / Ministry of Health and Family Welfare · S.O. 3385(E), 2 Aug 2024 (serial No. 101 of the CDSCO list of 156 prohibited FDCs) · 22 August 2024

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Scope. A record here does not by itself mean a product or company is unsafe or banned today. Regulatory actions can apply to one batch, one formulation, one period or one state. Always check the linked government document for the current position, and tell us if something is out of date. How we label records.

Below: Blacklisted's explanationWe organise and explain what the document says. The document above is the authority.

Key facts

Governing authority
CDSCO, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Notification
S.O. 3385(E), 2 Aug 2024, Section 26A; serial No. 101 of the 156-FDC list
Gazette published
21 to 22 Aug 2024
Manufacturer
Cipla
Reformulation
Not established. A PharmEasy page titled 'Cheston Cold New Formula' still lists phenylephrine 10 mg + cetirizine 5 mg + paracetamol 325 mg, marked out of stock

Cheston Cold, Cipla's cold tablet, was one of the most recognisable brands caught by the August 2024 ban on fixed-dose combinations.

Its formula combined cetirizine, an antihistamine, with paracetamol and the decongestant phenylephrine. On 2 August 2024 the Health Ministry prohibited 156 FDCs under Section 26A after the Drugs Technical Advisory Board's expert committee found no therapeutic justification for them and a possible risk. Cetirizine + paracetamol + phenylephrine is the second most recognisable entry on that list after the paediatric aceclofenac combination. The notifications were published in the Gazette on 21 to 22 August 2024.

Each entry carries its own S.O. number. In the CDSCO's official list, cetirizine HCl + paracetamol + phenylephrine HCl is serial No. 101, notified as S.O. 3385(E). No court stay of that entry has been reported.

Whether Cipla has relaunched Cheston Cold with a different composition is not established. A PharmEasy page titled "Cheston Cold New Formula" still lists phenylephrine 10 mg + cetirizine 5 mg + paracetamol 325 mg, the banned combination, and marks it out of stock; Apollo pages list the same three ingredients. The composition printed on the pack is what counts.

The related chlorpheniramine + phenylephrine cold tablets: Sinarest, Wikoryl, Solvin Cold, were not banned, but since 2025 to 2026 they carry an under-four restriction.

What this means for you

Old strips should not be sold

If a pharmacy offers cetirizine + paracetamol + phenylephrine, it is prohibited stock; ask for an alternative.

Read the ingredients on any 'Cheston' pack

A reformulated product may carry the name with a different composition; the composition, not the brand, decides.

The parts are still legal

Cetirizine, paracetamol and phenylephrine are each available on their own or in other approved combinations.

This is a record of official orders, not medical advice. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without asking your doctor or pharmacist.

If you have this at home

  1. Check that the product name, strength, batch number and maker on your pack match this record. Only the batches or the formula named here are affected.
  2. Do not stop a medicine your doctor prescribed without talking to your doctor or pharmacist first.
  3. Keep the pack and the bill. Ask the shop that sold it to take it back.
  4. Report it to your state drug controller, or through CDSCO's consumer page. You can also check a batch number.

Common questions

Is Cheston Cold banned in India?

Yes. Its formula, cetirizine + paracetamol + phenylephrine, has been prohibited since 2 Aug 2024 under S.O. 3385(E).

Is Cheston Cold banned?

The cetirizine + paracetamol + phenylephrine tablet is. A pack with a different composition would need to be checked on its own label.

Is Cheston Cold Total banned in India?

We have not verified the Cheston Cold Total formula. If its label lists cetirizine, paracetamol and phenylephrine together, it is the banned combination.

Batches flagged in CDSCO alerts

No NSQ batch on record. No product matching this name appears in CDSCO or state-lab NSQ alerts from Jan 2019 to September 2026. Absence from the alerts is not proof of quality, check your batch number.

Sources

Government documents

News reports

Other sources

Researched and written by The Blacklisted team
We are not doctors or pharmacists. Everything on this page comes from the documents listed above, which you can open and check. Last checked 3 November 2026. How we check · Who we are · Spotted a mistake? Tell us.