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Reuters

Updated On Aug 8, 2023 at 04:53 AM IST

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning on Monday regarding a batch of common cold syrup that has been found to be contaminated. The syrup, known as Cold Out, was manufactured by Fourrts (India) Laboratories for Dabilife Pharma and was discovered in Iraq. The contamination includes higher than acceptable levels of diethylene and ethylene glycol.

The WHO's medical product alert states that this batch of Cold Out contained 0.25% diethylene glycol and 2.1% ethylene glycol, surpassing the allowable safety limit of 0.10%. Notably, neither the manufacturer nor the marketer has provided assurances to the WHO regarding the product's safety and quality.

Responses from the involved companies, Fourrts (India) Laboratories and Dabilife Pharma, were not available for comment at the time of Reuters' inquiries made outside of regular business hours.

This incident marks the latest in a series of warnings from the WHO concerning contaminated cough syrups sold globally, with a significant number of them linked to Indian manufacturers. The issue of contaminated cough syrups from India has even resulted in fatalities, including the deaths of 89 children in Gambia and Uzbekistan last year. In response, Indian authorities took action against certain manufacturers, such as Riemann Labs, whose cough syrup was linked to child deaths in Cameroon.

Marion Biotech, a company whose syrups were exported to Uzbekistan, had its manufacturing license revoked by Indian regulators, and some of its employees were arrested. Maiden Pharmaceuticals, another company involved in the case, denied responsibility for the deaths in Gambia. Indian government laboratory tests did not detect toxins in their products.

https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/pharma/who-flags-india-made-syrup-in-latest-warning-over-contaminated-drugs/102513062?utm_source=Mailer&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=ethealth_news_2023-08-08&dt=2023-08-08