Uzbekistan cough syrup deaths: Centre seeks cancellation of Marion's license
1 min read . Updated: 05 Mar 2023, 06:04 AM IST
PremiumThe development comes a day after Indian authorities arrested three Marion employees and began looking for two directors. The company's products have also been linked to deaths in Uzbekistan.
The Centre has recommended that the manufacturing license of Uttar Pradesh-based Marion biotech be cancelled after a majority of tested samples were found to have been adulterated with ethylene glycol. The development comes a day after Indian authorities arrested three Marion employees and began looking for two directors. The company's products have also been linked to deaths in Uzbekistan.
“Centre recommends the State Drug Controller Authority to cancel manufacturing license of Marion biotech after 22 out of 36 samples taken for testing from it were found adulterated with Ethylene glycol," news agency ANI quoted the Gautam Budh Nagar Drug inspector as stating.
According to a recent Reuters report quoting an inspector involved in the Marion probe, the tested samples had been adulterated with ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol - the toxins that the WHO says were found in the products sold by the two companies in the two countries.
Also read: Uzbekistan cough syrup deaths: 3 employees of Noida-based pharma firm arrested
Data shared by the World Health Organisation suggests that hundreds of children - mostly under the age of five - have passed away in Gambia, Indonesia and Uzbekistan due to acute kidney injury associated with contaminated medicines. With such medication on sale in countries such as Philippines, Timor Leste, Senegal and Cambodia the list of casualties might be higher.
The Indian administration has however pushed back against allegations that cough syrup made by another Indian company - Maiden Pharmaceuticals - led to the deaths of children in Gambia last year.
Also read: Death of children in Gambia linked to consumption of Indian cough syrups: CDC
(With inputs from agencies)
