NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s Marion Biotech has halted production of the cough syrup linked to the death of 18 children in Uzbekistan, the legal head of the company told Reuters partner ANI on Thursday.
“We regret the deaths, the government is conducting an enquiry. We’ll take action as per report,” Hasan Harris, legal representative of Marion Biotech, said.
Uzbekistan’s health ministry said on Wednesday that at least 18 children in the country died after consuming Doc-1 Max syrup, manufactured by the Indian drugmaker.
The syrup contained a toxic substance, ethylene glycol, and was administered in doses higher than the standard dose for children either by their parents, who mistook it for an anti-cold remedy, or on the advice of pharmacists, the Uzbekistan ministry said.
Seven employees were dismissed by the Uzbek ministry following a probe into the matter, and “disciplinary measures” were taken against some specialists. The Doc-1 Max tablets and syrups have also been withdrawn from all pharmacies, the ministry added.
The incident comes close on the heels of another similar one in Gambia, where deaths of at least 70 children had been linked to cough and cold syrups manufactured by New Delhi-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd. The Indian government and also the company, however, have since denied the allegations.
India is known as the ‘pharmacy of the world’, and has doubled its pharmaceutical exports over the last decade, touching 24.5 billion dollars in the last fiscal year.
(Reporting by Sakshi Dayal; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
