Cough syrup production halted at factory linked to Gambia deaths

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said that authorities inspected a Maiden Pharmaceuticals factory in Sonepat and found 12 violations of good practices, following which production was ordered stopped

Authorities have halted production of cough syrup at a factory of Maiden Pharmaceuticals, a Minister said on October 12, after a WHO report that the medicine may be linked to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia.

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij told ANI that authorities inspected a Maiden factory in the town of Sonepat in the State and found 12 violations of good practices. Production was ordered stopped, Mr. Vij said.

The WHO said last week that laboratory analysis of four Maiden products — Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup — had "unacceptable" amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, which can be toxic and lead to acute kidney injury.

Gambian police, in a preliminary investigation report on Tuesday, said that the deaths of 69 children from acute kidney injury was linked to the cough syrups made in India and imported via a U. S.-based company.

It is one of the worst such incidents involving drugs from India, often dubbed a "pharmacy of the world".

News website Moneycontrol earlier quoted the Haryana drugs controller as saying in a report that Maiden did not perform quality testing of propylene glycol, diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, while certain batches of propylene glycol did not have the manufacturing and expiry dates.

Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are used in antifreeze and brake fluids and other industrial applications but also as a cheaper alternative in some pharmaceutical products to glycerine, a solvent or thickening agent in many cough syrups.