ISLAMABAD: India has cancelled the manufacturing license of a company whose cough syrups were linked to 18 child deaths in Uzbekistan.
The World Health Organization (WHO) in January had warned against the use of two cough syrups made by Marion Biotech, declaring them substandard.
However, the company denies the allegations. After the children’s deaths were reported in Uzbekistan, India’s health ministry suspended production at the firm.
On Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh state authorities said that they were now “permanently” cancelling the license of the company.
India world’s largest generic drug exporter
India is the world’s largest generic drug exporter, meeting much of the medical demands of developing countries.
But in recent months, many Indian companies have come under scrutiny for the standard of their drugs, with experts expressing concerns about the manufacturing practices used to develop medicines.
The latest action against the company came after tests by a government laboratory in December last year found 22 drug samples of the cough syrup to be “spurious and adulterated”.
Central Drugs Standard Control Organization’s inspector Asheesh Kaundal had said that the spurious and adulterated drugs can cause serious hurt to the public and it is likely that related material/records may be disposed of.
