5 samples drawn from pharma unit in Baddi

Tribune News Service

Ambika Sharma

Solan, October 6

Drug Control Administration (DCA) today drew five samples of liquid products manufactured using propylene glycol (PG) from Baddi-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals as a precaution after four drugs manufactured by its sister concern at Sonipat led to the death of 66 children in Gambia.

As per the alert issue by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on October 5, cough syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited at Sonipat contained a toxic substance diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol. The duo has been found as a contaminant in products where PG is used in manufacturing. The four products which have come under the scanner were Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup.

Toxic effects of these products include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state and acute kidney injury which could prove fatal.

Navneet Marwaha, State Drugs Controller (SDC), informed that a team of drug inspectors inspected the Baddi-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited today. None of the four products mentioned by the WHO alert are manufactured by the said unit at Manpura village in Baddi industrial area.

“As a precaution, team of drug inspectors has drawn samples of five products manufactured here using PG. They will be sent for lab analysis to ascertain their quality.

The said unit was, however, under renovation since February and had halted its manufacturing operations as per the written information furnished by the unit management to the DCA, confirmed Manish Kapoor, Deputy Drugs Controller-cum licensing authority, for the said unit.

The officials are scrutinizing the records of purchase of PG as well as sale of liquid products manufactured using this raw material. It was also being ascertained as to when the last batches of various liquid products had been manufactured by the said unit.

Marwaha also informed that an alert has been issued in Himachal to seize the stock of the batches in question from the market.

The action follows the WHO alert saying all batches of these products should be considered unsafe until they are analysed by the relevant national regulatory authorities.

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