The deaths of 14 children have been connected to contaminated cough syrup in a scandal that has brought new scrutiny to India’s drug regulations.
The syrup, Coldrif, was found to contain diethylene glycol beyond the permissible limit. Diethylene glycol is an industry grade solvent and highly toxic even if ingested in small amounts.
The 14 children, all from central Madhya Pradesh state, all died from kidney failure over a period of 15 days. Three states—Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu—have now banned Coldrif.
The manufacturer, Sresan Pharmaceuticals, which is based in Tamil Nadu, faces having its license revoked pending a decision by the federal health ministry.
Police in Madhya Pradesh have opened a manslaughter investigation, Reuters reported.1 Sresan Pharmaceuticals has been named as one of the accused, along with the doctor who prescribed the cough syrup for most of the …
