Maharashtra drug regulator orders sample checks on oral liquid solutions amid probe on Maiden Pharma cough syrups

Maharashtra's drug regulator directed sample checks of all oral liquid solutions in the state in the light of cough syrups-linked children's death in Gambia, West Africa. The state has 1,000 pharmaceutical units. Out of these, 20-25 percent are oral liquid manufacturing units.

The inspectors were directed by Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to collect samples and test if any of them had unacceptable amount of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

The regulator's direction came a day after the Haryana government shut production of drugs at Maiden Pharmaceuticals which has been under the scanner over deaths of more than 60 children in the Gambia.

The deaths were linked to four cough syrups manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceuticals. These syrups were Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup. The World Health Organization (WHO) had identified them as substandard.

These cough syrups were linked with acute kidney injuries among children in The Gambia, leading to deaths. As per the tentative results received by the WHO, some tested samples were found to contain diethylene or ethylene glycol (DEG) which is toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal.