Sresan Pharmaceuticals—the makers of the Coldrif cough syrup that has killed at least 20 people (including children) so far—will have its licence permanently revoked in a few days.
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Thursday that the pharma company's licence (which is currently suspended), would be "permanently cancelled" after further investigation.
This comes after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Madhya Pradesh government arrested the company's owner, G. Ranganathan, earlier today, at his Kodambakkam residence.
The 75-year-old, who had been on the run since October 7, faces a number of charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, drug adulteration, and violations of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Ranganathan will be presented before a city court today and then brought to Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara after securing a transit remand.
Two senior drug inspectors have also been placed under suspension for their "inaction" in the cough syrup adulteration case, a PTI report said.
The Kancheepuram-based company's Coldrif cough syrup was found to have diethylene glycol (DEG)—an industrial chemical that can attack the kidney and the brain, if consumed—as well as other banned chemical combinations, such as paracetamol and chlorpheniramine with phenylephrine.
The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday said it would bear the entire cost of the treatment of children suffering from kidney infections after taking Coldrif. The Kerala government has already banned the distribution of all medicines manufactured by Sresan.
