Drug manufacturers in India have been prohibited from using propylene glycol sourced from the Delhi-based firm that supplied the ingredient to Marion Biotech, whose cough syrups have been linked to the deaths of 19 children in Uzbekistan in December.
The children died after consuming Marion’s cough syrups, Ambronol and DOK-1 Max, all contaminated with unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol, reports Reuters. India suspended the pharmaceutical company’s production, and this month, police arrested three Marion employees after tests in a government laboratory found 22 of 36 syrup samples “adulterated and spurious”.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) sent a letter to all state licensing authorities last week saying that Delhi-based Maya Chemtech was “mainly” the supplier of the propylene glycol used in the affected batches.
“…you are requested to instruct enforcement officials to keep strict vigil on the matter and take stringent action … against the offenders in public interest,” the DCGI wrote.
The Uzbekistan incident replicated a similar one in The Gambia, where a parliamentary committee linked the deaths of at least 70 children to cough and cold syrups manufactured by another Delhi company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Probe into Indian cough syrup link to Gambian children’s deaths
Cough syrups ‘almost certainly’ to blame for children’s deaths – US CDC
WHO probes raw materials link in lethal cough syrups
Indonesia families launch lawsuit over contaminated cough syrup