Geneva: The World Health Organization has flagged at least seven cough syrups made in India as toxic in its investigation into the contaminated medicines suspected to have led to more than 300 deaths, The Indian Express reported on Tuesday.
Christian Lindmeier, the spokesperson for global health body, told the newspaper that 20 toxic products made by 15 manufacturers in India and Indonesia have been identified.
The 20 medicines are cough syrups, paracetamol and vitamins. Among these are 15 contaminated and identified syrups seven are manufactured by Haryana-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals, Noida-based Marion Biotech and Punjab-based QP Pharmachem.
Last week, the WHO had said that it was conducting an investigation into a global threat caused due to toxic cough syrups.
Deaths due to toxic cough syrups made the headlines in October when the WHO issued a global alert for four such medicines manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceuticals. This was after authorities in the West African country of The Gambia linked 66 deaths – most of them due to acute kidney failure – to the four medicines.
In December, the WHO recommended not using two cough syrups made by Indian pharmaceutical firm Marion Biotech after Uzbekistan’s health ministry said that 18 children died after consuming the Dok 1 Max syrup manufactured by the company. In April, another Indian drugmaker was also found by the World Health Organization to have exported contaminated cough syrup to the Marshall Islands and Micronesia.
Last month, India said it will allow the export of cough syrups only after samples are tested at specified government laboratories.
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