The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended stopping the use of two cough syrups made by India’s Noida-based pharma Marion Biotech due to their “poor and substandard” quality.
This response has come after approximately 19 children died in Uzbekistan as a result of consuming these syrups. The syrups were administered in doses higher than the standard for children, either by their parents, who mistook it for an anti-cold remedy or on the advice of pharmacists.
In a medical product alert issued by WHO, they said that the “substandard medical products”, manufactured by Marion Biotech, “are products that fail to meet quality standards or specifications and are therefore out of specification.”
The two products are AMBRONOL syrup and DOK-1 Max syrup.
According to WHO, laboratory analysis of samples of both the cough syrups, undertaken by national quality control laboratories of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan found both products contained unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and /or ethylene glycol as contaminants.
The UN health agency also added that “the substandard products referenced in this Alert are unsafe and their use, especially in children, may result in serious injury or death.”
