Ranbaxy faced another setback on Friday as the supreme court issued notice to the leading drugmaker as well as the central government following a PIL that seeks cancellation of the firm’s licence and a CBI probe into the allegedly sub-standard quality of its medicines.

"The matter requires consideration and we will examine it but we cannot grant any interim stay," a bench headed by chief justice P Sathasivam said.

The PIL was filed by advocate ML Sharma, pointing out that Ranbaxy was fined $500 million by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for making and selling adulterated drugs last year. The PIL demanded court to stop production from the manufacturing units in Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh and Dewas in Madhya Pradesh.

Read more about Ranbaxy’s travails:

Dirty medicine: Ranbaxy's FDA travails

Sharma sought action against the drug regulator, Central Drug Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO), for granting permission to Ranbaxy to sell drugs in India though the firm has faced a series of strictures from the US FDA.

Read interview with drug controller GN Singh:

"Ranbaxy has been asked to comply with regulations"