India halts cough syrup production at factory after Gambia deaths

Indian authorities have halted production of cough syrup at a factory of Maiden Pharmaceuticals, a state minister said, after a World Health Organization (WHO) report said the medicine may be linked to the deaths of dozens of children in The Gambia.
The health minister in Haryana state, Anil Vij, on Wednesday said the authorities inspected a Maiden factory near the town of Sonipat in the state and found 12 violations of good practices. Production was ordered stopped, Vij said.
The WHO said last week that laboratory analysis of four Maiden products – Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup – had “unacceptable” amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, which can be toxic and lead to acute kidney injury.

Prashant Reddy is a lawyer and Co-Author of 'The Truth Pill: The Myth of Drug Regulation in India'.
He joins us from New Delhi to discuss the latest updates.

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