Cough Syrup: Alert about another medicine of India, WHO said contaminated and deadly

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued an alert on a batch of India-made common cold syrup being sold in Iraq. The WHO found the product to be contaminated and unsafe for use. The syrup, under the brand name Cold Out, was being sold in Iraq and was being manufactured by Fortes (India) Laboratories for DabiLife Pharma. The global health agency found that the syrup contained the pollutants diethylene and ethylene glycol – above acceptable limits – news agency Reuters reported. In its medical product alert, the WHO said the batch of syrup contained 0.25 per cent diethylene glycol and 2.1 per cent ethylene glycol, while the acceptable safety limits for both are up to 0.10 per cent.

According to WHO, the manufacturer and marketer did not give guarantees to the agency regarding the quality and safety of the product. The companies are yet to respond to the allegations and WHO’s warning. So far, five “contaminated” syrups linked to Indian manufacturers have come under scrutiny. Last month, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), in coordination with state drug controllers in Madhya Pradesh, directed pharma firm Reimann Labs to stop manufacturing its cough syrup, which was linked to the death of children in Cameroon.

This came after the WHO issued a warning regarding cough syrups supplied to Cameroon, stating that an analysis found that the product contained unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol as a contaminant. Earlier, India-made cough syrup was reportedly linked to the deaths of 66 and 18 children in Gambia and Uzbekistan, respectively, last year. Despite WHO linking cough syrup deaths to drugs made in India, the country’s pharmaceutical exports are set to touch US$ 27 billion this fiscal, growing almost twice as fast as last year .