A company in India has lost its manufacturing license because cough syrups have been linked to the deaths of 18 children in Uzbekistan.
The WHO in January had cautioned against the utilization of two hack syrups made by Marion Biotech, it were unsatisfactory to say they.
The allegations are unfounded by Marion Biotech.
India’s health ministry had halted the company’s operations following the deaths in Uzbekistan.
The state of Uttar Pradesh, where Marion Biotech is based, announced on Wednesday that the company’s license would now be revoked “permanently.”
Vaibhav Babbar, a drug inspector, stated to the Hindustan Times newspaper, “The company based in Noida city cannot carry out any manufacturing now.”
The state authorities have been contacted by the BBC for a statement.
Marion Biotech has not answered BBC’s solicitation for input.
India supplies most of the medical requirements of developing nations because it is the world’s largest exporter of generic drugs.
However, over the course of the past few months, a number of Indian pharmaceutical companies have come under scrutiny for the quality of their products, with experts expressing concerns regarding the methods of manufacturing these products.
The most recent activity against Marion Biotech came after tests by an administration research center in December found 22 medication tests of the company’s hack syrup to be “defiled and deceptive”.
Asheesh Kaundal, an inspector with India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), stated in his complaint, “The adulterated and spurious drugs can cause grievous harm to the public and it is suspected that related material/records may be disposed of.”
Three company employees were also detained earlier this month by the Uttar Pradesh police for selling tainted goods.
The Drugs Licensing Officer of Uttar Pradesh, SK Chaurasia, stated on Wednesday that Marion Biotech had failed to respond “satisfactorily” to the notice regarding the findings.
After the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global medical alert regarding the connection between the deaths of 18 children in Uzbekistan and Marion Biotech’s Dok-1 Max and Ambronol cough syrups, India initiated an investigation.
The body said that the drugs contained “unacceptable amounts” of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol after being analyzed by the quality control laboratories of the health ministry of Uzbekistan.
Consuming the substances could result in fatal consequences for humans.
Marion Biotech stated that it “did not agree” with the WHO’s findings and that it was cooperating with the Indian government’s investigations in a January email response to the BBC.
Indian pharmaceutical company Marion Biotech is not the only one to face controversy over cough syrups.
WHO issued a worldwide alert in October, claiming that four cough syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals were responsible for the kidney injuries that resulted in the deaths of 66 children in The Gambia. The Indian government and the company Maiden Pharmaceuticals have both denied the allegations.
WHO alert against use of Indian cough syrups in Uzbekistan
Two Indian cough syrups for children have been linked to deaths in Uzbekistan, according to the World Health Organization.
WHO stated that Marion Biotech’s products were “substandard” and that the company had failed to guarantee their safety.
The warning comes just a few weeks after Uzbekistan said that 18 children had died after eating the company’s syrup.
Marion Biotech has denied the most recent claims.
The company stated in an email response to the BBC that it was cooperating with the Indian government’s investigations and that it “does not agree” with the WHO’s findings.
Cough syrup deaths: Why drugs made in India are sparking safety concerns
India’s health ministry halted the company’s operations following the deaths in Uzbekistan.
The Marion Biotech production license was also suspended this week by the Uttar Pradesh food safety department, which is located in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
The World Health Organization (WHO) stated in the alert that the quality control laboratories of the Uzbek health ministry examined the two cough syrups, Ambronol and Dok-1 Max, and discovered unacceptable levels of “diethylene glycol and/or ethylene glycol.”
Ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol are poisons that can kill people if they consume them.
