NEW DELHI: Marion Biotech, the Indian manufacturer of cough syrups that Uzbekistan claimed last year had poisoned nineteen kids, used a toxic industrial-grade ingredient instead of a legal pharmaceutical version.
The company bought the ingredient propylene glycol from trader Maya Chemtech India. But it did not possess a license to sell pharmaceutical-level materials and “dealt in industrial-level only, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
The syrup was made with PG, a toxic material mainly used in liquid detergents, paints or coatings, antifreeze, and to increase the effectiveness of pesticides.
Manufacturer Did not Test Ingredient
The company also did not test the ingredient before using it in the drugs it sold to Uzbekistan, according to investigators. India’s medicines and cosmetics rules say the firms are responsible for ensuring the safety of the ingredients they use.
Marion, which says it manufactures herbal drugs, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics products, has denied any wrongdoing.
An observer by Uzbekistan’s health ministry last year showed the Marion-made cough syrups, DOK-1 Max and Ambronol, contained illegal amounts of toxins, diethylene glycol, and ethylene glycol, used in items that are not for human consumption.
Uzbekistan in January apprehended four people in relation to the nineteen deaths, including two executives at a firm that imported the Marion medicines.
