Gambian panel blames Haryana-based Maiden Pharma for childrens’ deaths

Samples of Maiden Pharma’s cough syrups sent to a Swiss lab for testing contained unacceptable levels of two toxins, according to a report from an expert parliamentary panel in The Gambia

Cough syrup made in India and sold in The Gambia contained “unacceptable levels” of the toxins diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG), according to tests conducted by a Swiss laboratory.

Samples of the syrup, made by Haryana-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals, were sent for analysis by The Gambian government as part of its investigation into an epidemic of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), suspected to have killed atleast 70 children in The Gambia between July and October 2022.

Also read: Explained | The Gambia deaths and the toxic cough syrups that are causing them

The Swiss lab’s results are part of a report by a ‘Select Committee’, an expert parliamentary panel constituted by the government of The Gambia to investigate the cause of death of the children, as well as the institutional challenges that led to a situation resulting in the deaths of the children.

“The Select Committee is convinced that Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is culpable and should be held accountable for exporting the contaminated medicines that was linked to the death of at least 70 children in The Gambia 2022,” said the report, which was made public on December 20.

AKI can result from a variety of causes — chemical poisoning as well as viral infections — but the actual cause of these deaths is still being investigated by the country’s health ministry.

The Gambia’s health ministry collected 10 syrup brands commonly consumed there and sent them for analysis. Only four of them — Makoff Baby, Kofexmalin Baby, Promethazine Oral Solution, MaGrip N Cold Syrup — all manufactured by Maiden Pharma, were found contaminated with DEG and EG. While made by the Haryana-based firm, the products were imported and supplied to The Gambia by local firm Atlantic Pharmacy, which said that it had distributed the products based on a certificate of ‘Good Manufacturing Practices’ issued by Maiden Pharma itself. The Gambia lacks an independent agency that performs quality checks on imported pharmaceutical products.