With the World Health Organisation (WHO) warning against cough syrups manufactured by a Sonipat-based firm, Haryana health minister Anil Vij, said on Thursday that the company’s cough syrups are not available for sale or marketing in the country. The WHO had said the syrups are contaminated and substandard.
The minister said the samples of the firm’s cough syrups have been collected and sent to the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) in Kolkata for examination.
“The samples have been collected by a team of the Drugs Controller General of India and Haryana’s Food and Drugs Administration Department and sent to the CDL, Kolkata for examination,” he said.
Vij said the cough syrups manufactured by the pharma company Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited were approved for export but the same is not available for sale or marketing in the country.
The WHO on Wednesday warned that Maiden cough syrup could be linked to the deaths of 66 children in The Gambia. A laboratory analysis of Maiden cough syrup had confirmed “unacceptable” amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, which can be toxic and lead to acute kidney injury, the WHO said.
The WHO has listed Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup as substandard paediatric medicines because they had unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants. Following this, DCGI has initiated a probe into the matter.