All operations at Marion Biotech's Noida unit halted as India probes cough syrup deaths
Uzbekistan has claimed that 18 children died after consuming Doc-1 Max cough syrup. Marion Biotech does not sell Dok-1 Max in India, and its only export has been to Uzbekistan.
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All manufacturing activities at Marion Biotech's Noida unit have been stopped as India begins a probe into cough syrup-linked deaths in Uzbekistan. This comes a day after the firm announced that it has stopped manufacturing the Dok-1 Max "for now."
Uzbekistan has claimed that 18 children died after consuming Doc-1 Max cough syrup. Marion Biotech does not sell Dok-1 Max in India, and its only export has been to Uzbekistan.
In a tweet on Friday, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, "Following inspection by @CDSCO_INDIA_INF team in view of reports of contamination in cough syrup Dok-1 Max, all manufacturing activities of Marion Biotech at Noida unit have been stopped yesterday night, while further investigation is ongoing."
The action against the firm also came a day after samples of the cough syrup were taken from the manufacturing premises in Noida and sent to the Regional Drug Testing Laboratory (RDTL) in Chandigarh for testing.
Marion Biotech is a licenced manufacturer and holds the licence for manufacturing Dok-1 Max syrup and tablets for export purposes granted by the Drugs Controller, Uttar Pradesh. According to Uzbekistan, the chemical ethylene glycol was found in a batch of Dok-1 Max syrup during laboratory tests.
Before Uzbekistan's claims, there were reports linking the deaths of 70 children in Gambia to cough syrups manufactured by Haryana-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals earlier this year. The Drugs Controller General of India claimed the WHO drew a premature link.