Health update: Cough syrup for kids banned in Uzbekistan by WHO
Indian cough syrups banned
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that two Indian cough syrup for kids should not be used in Uzbekistan. The cough syrups are manufactured by Noida-based Company Marion Biotech.
In a medical product alert on Wednesday, the WHO said the “substandard medical products”, manufactured by Marion Biotech, “are products that fail to meet quality standards or specifications and are therefore out of specification.”
“This WHO Medical Product Alert refers to two substandard (contaminated) products. They were identified in Uzbekistan and reported to WHO on 22 December 2022. Substandard medical products are that fail to meet quality standards or specifications. Therefore out of specification,” the WHO said in an alert released on its website.
2 cough syrups
“The two products are AMBRONOL syrup and DOK-1 Max syrup. The stated manufacturer of both products is MARION BIOTECH PVT. LTD, (Uttar Pradesh, India). The concern company has not provided any gurantee on the safety and quality of the products,” the alert added.
Noida-based pharmaceutical Marion Biotech has been under tight screening. The company is likely to face the heat. As a consequence of the death of children after consuming cough syrup came in from Uzbekistan.
As per WHO analysis they found products contained large amounts of diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol as contaminants. The test were undertaken by national quality control laboratories of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Analysis and Actions
“Both of these products may have marketing authorizations in other countries in the region. They may also have been distributed, through informal markets, to other countries or regions,” the WHO alert added.
The UN health agency added that “the substandard products referenced in this Alert are unsafe and their use, especially in children, may result in serious injury or death.”
As per reports, on 22nd December 2022, Uzbekistan claimed that 18 children died due to the intake of medicines manufactured by Marion Biotech Company.
Following the repercussions, Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration department suspended the production licence of Marion Biotech Company linked to Uzbekistan’s deaths of 18 children.
Gautam Buddh Nagar Drug inspector Vaibhav Babbar stated, “We have suspended the production license of Marion Biotech company after not providing enough documents. Further, show-cause notice was also given by the state licensing authority. Moreover, depending upon the documents asked during the inspection which they didn’t provide.”
He further added that sample results are still pending.
Following this, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that all manufacturing activities of the Noida-based pharma company have been stopped in view of the reports of contamination in cough syrup Dok1 Max.
