The Haryana government has stopped production at Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited, a week after the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued an alert against cough syrups manufactured by the Sonepat-based company. In its report, the WHO said that 66 children in Gambia had died after consuming cough syrups contaminated with “unacceptable” amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.
"Samples of 3 drugs mentioned by WHO of Sonipat's pharmaceuticals company were sent to Central Drug Lab in Kolkata. The reports are not in yet, action will be taken after that," Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij told ANI on Wednesday. However, a joint inspection by the Central and Haryana state drug departments found around 12 flaws in manufacturing, he added. “It's been decided that the total production shall be stopped,” he said.
Pharma exporters body Pharmexcil had suspended the membership of Maiden Pharmaceuticals, following the controversy. Haryana State Drugs Controller, in a show-cause notice, alleged that the firm didn’t do quality-testing of raw materials used in the manufacturing of the controversial cough syrups, Moneycontrol stated in a report. The company has been given seven days to respond to the show-cause notice.
NDTV reported that the show-cause notice stated that the pharma company could not produce a log book of equipment and instruments used to manufacture and test the drugs in question.
The four cough syrups linked to the deaths in the West African nation are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup. In its preliminary investigation report, the Gambian police linked the deaths of children to the four cough syrups made in India and imported into the West African country via a US-based pharmaceutical company.
Gambian authorities launched a probe in September after doctors in July noticed that a number of children developed symptoms of kidney failure after taking a locally-sold paracetamol syrup used to treat fevers.
-with agency inputs
