The Indian maker of a cough syrup linked to the deaths of 19 children in Uzbekistan said on Friday it had halted production of all the drugs after an inspection by the drug regulator. Indian media reported that inspectors had found a deviation from manufacturing rules at one of Marion Biotech’s units. Neither Marion Biotech nor India’s Health Ministry immediately responded to a Reuters request for comment on the media reports or inspection findings.
Uzbekistan’s Health Ministry said at least 18 children died in the city of Samarkand after consuming Marion Biotech’s Dok-1 Max syrup. Uzbek media reported a 19th casualty on Thursday, with the death of a one-year-old child.
The Uzbekistan ministry had said 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 a cold remedy, or on the advice of the pharmacists.
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India’s drug regulator and regional authorities inspected Marion Biotech’s facility in Noida, near Delhi, India’s health ministry said on Thursday, as Uzbekistan took legal action against a local company representative.
The NDTV news network reported on Friday that Indian authorities have ordered a complete halt to production of all drugs at the company’s Noida facility after finding a deviation from manufacturing rules.
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Marion Biotech halted its production of the cough syrup after it was linked to the deaths of 19 children, including a 1-year-old, in Uzbekistan. Pictured: A sign representing the pharmaceutical company Marion Biotech.
(Imtiyaz Khan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Hasan Harris, legal head of Marion Biotech, told Reuters partner ANI: “We are waiting for the reports, the factory was inspected. We have stopped production of all drugs.”
Uzbekistan was withdrawing Dok-1 Max tablets and syrups from all pharmacies, while local media reported that the country has also suspended sales of another Marion Biotech anti-cold syrup called Ambronol.
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India is known as the ‘pharmacy of the world’ and has doubled its pharmaceutical exports over the past decade, reaching $24.5 billion in the last fiscal year.
The Uzbekistan case follows the deaths of at least 70 children in The Gambia that had been linked to cough and cold syrups made by New Delhi-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd. However, both the Indian government and the company have denied any wrongdoing.
