WHO issues fresh warning on ‘contaminated’ India-made cough syrup

The World Health Organization WHO has issued a warning about a batch of compromised common cold syrup produced by an Indian manufacturer, the latest in a string of cautions from the UN agency regarding low-quality drugs from the nation.

The WHO stated that the manufacturer and marketer had not guaranteed the safety and quality of the controversial cold syrups.

The UN health agency said the syrup is generally used in Iraq to treat and relieve symptoms of common cold and allergy.

According to the WHO, the batch of Cold Out syrup discovered in Iraq was manufactured by Fourrts (India) Laboratories for Dabilife Pharma.

The syrup reportedly contained substances such as diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, which can be dangerous and cause severe kidney damage in young children.

The batch contained 0.25% diethylene glycol and 2.1% ethylene glycol, although the acceptable safety level for both is 0.10%, according to a WHO medical product notification.

Warning regarding Cold Out are the most recent concerning dangerous cough syrups distributed across the world. This also represents the fifth medical product alert for an Indian formulation issued by the WHO since October 2022.

Recall that no fewer than 70 children died in Gambia last year as a result of four types of imported medicines from India, according to the country’s presidential panel of inquiry.

Following the deaths of the children, Gambia recalled many medicines, including all cough and cold syrups in circulation, as well as all goods manufactured by the Indian firm Maiden Pharmaceuticals, from which the contaminated syrups originated.