A batch of deadly syrups for colds and cough has been discovered in India

The WHO has issued a warning regarding the shipments of dangerous syrups for colds and coughs detected in India, according to the The Center For Pharmaceutical Products Safety press service.

This refers to separate batches of COLDRIF, Respifresh TR, and ReLife syrups produced by Sresan Pharmaceutical, Rednex Pharmaceuticals, and Shape Pharma. Dietylene glycol (DEG) impurities were detected in them. Its quantity exceeded the permissible norm by almost 500 times.

When taken orally, dietylene glycol has a toxic effect on the human body and can lead to death. These drugs are unsafe, and their use, especially by children, can lead to severe poisoning or death.

CDSCO reported on the dietylene glycol content in syrups on October 8th. Prior to this, the WHO drew attention to information on the identification of local hotspots of acute infection and cases of child mortality in India. According to the CDSCO, the sick children were taking dangerous syrups. The Indian authorities ordered the immediate cessation of production.

Currently, at least 20 children have died after taking these syrups in India’s Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan states. According to BBC News, the majority of deaths in Madhya Pradesh occurred among children under five years old due to COLDRIF syrup.

The CDSCO informed the WHO that the contaminated drugs were not exported outside of India and currently there are no signs of their illegal export from the country, — the WHO said in a statement.

Nevertheless, the organization warned that such medicines could enter other countries through unregulated distribution channels and recommended strengthening control over product circulation. Thus, on October 15, the Center for the Safety of Pharmaceutical Products of Uzbekistan reported that the COLDRIF drug from Sresan Pharma had not been registered in Uzbekistan.

Recall that in the Jizzakh region, another child died after receiving the drug Doc-1 Max from the Indian company Marion Biotech. Muslim Ziyoboyeva passed away at the age of 8. In December 2022, after a doctor’s prescription, the girl began receiving Doc-1 Max syrup three times a day, after which the child’s kidneys failed and urinary function was impaired.

It’s worth noting that Muslima Ziyoboyeva became one of the dozens of children who became disabled after consuming Doc-1 Max syrups. In December 2022, 68 children died in Uzbekistan after using this syrup, 16 children sustained serious injuries, another two received minor injuries, and 23 children became disabled. Later, specialists found out why the syrup killed children. The main defendants in the case were sentenced to 20 to 16 years in prison.

The court ordered the parents and guardians of the Doc-1 Max victims to pay compensation. However, in October 2024, the father of a five-year-old boy who was poisoned by the drug Doc-1 Max and spent 65 days in a coma, Feruz Nuritdinov, stated that Acting Health Minister Asilbek Khudayarov had provided false information to the public about guaranteed assistance to those affected by the drug.

The advisor to the Minister of Ecology, Rasul Kusherbayev, drew public attention to this, noting that the families of the victims have not yet been fully compensated. The civil servant also noted that the delay threatens the further treatment of affected children, which is vital for many of them.