'Someone duplicated it': Indian pharma firm responds after WHO issues alert against another cough syrup
cough syrup
After World Health Organization (WHO) issued an alert against India-manufactured cough syrup being sold in the Marshall Islands and Micronesia, the company manufacturing the syrup has responded. Based in the northern Indian state of Punjab, QP Pharmachem Limited manufactured the affected product but has alleged that someone duplicated the syrup to defame the Government of India.
"Food And Drug Administration (FDA) of Punjab doubt that someone has duplicated the product (cough syrup) sent to Cambodia and then sold it in the Marshall Islands and Micronesia to defame the Government of India," said QP Pharma MD Sudhir Pathak.
"The FDA department has taken samples of cough syrup sent to Cambodia for testing. A total of 18,336 bottles of cough syrup were sent," he added.
Cough syrup contains toxic compounds: WHO
WHO in its alert stated that the cough syrup produced by the Punjab-based company contained compounds toxic to human health.
"Samples of the Guaifenesin SYRUP TG SYRUP from the Marshall Islands were analysed by quality control laboratories of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia. The analysis found that the product contained unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants," read the official statement.
“To date, neither the stated manufacturer nor the marketer have provided guarantees to WHO on the safety and quality of these products,” it added.
According to experts, consumption of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol can cause numerous health complications such as vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, headache, altered mental state, inability to pass urine and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.
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Previous instances
Notably, this is the third time in nearly seven months that the WHO has issued a product alert over India-made cough syrups.
Last year, Uzbekistan's health ministry claimed that at least 18 children in Samarkand city after consuming cough syrup Doc-1 Max, which is manufactured by Marion Biotech - an Indian drugmaker.
Afterwards, teams of central and state drug inspectors were dispatched to the manufacturing facility and the manufacturing was halted. Contamination was detected in raw material collected from Marion Biotech and a case was registered against the company.
Before that, Maiden Pharma was caught in the middle of the storm after its cough syrup was linked to cases in the Gambia. Unlike Marion Biotech, the regulators did not find any contamination in the raw material at the manufacturing facility.
However, a parliamentary panel in the Gambia stated the company was responsible for the deaths of at least 70 children from acute kidney injurylinked to cough and cold syrups.
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"All the cases of AKI are linked to the consumption of contaminated medical products...manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceuticals," said Amadou Camara, the panel's chairperson.
(With inputs from agencies)
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