The Uzbekistan government on Wednesday said 18 children who drank cough syrup Dok-1 Max made by Marion Biotech in Noida, India, died due to ethylene glycol poisoning. However, it also added that the children were administered the syrup at home without a proper medical prescription and exceeded the prescribed dosage.
The WHO has, in the meantime, said it would extend further support in the investigation. This is the second instance where Cough syrups from an Indian pharma company have come under the scanner. Earlier in the Gambia, nearly 70 children died of Kidney failure due to Acute Kidney Disease (AKI) consuming cough syrups made by Haryana-based Maiden pharma.
The Indian government has ordered Marion to halt production of the Dok-1 Max syrup until its probe is complete. Dok-1 Max Syrup and tablets contain Paracetamol, Guaifenesin, and Phenylephrine Hydrochloride. They are used as anti-cold medicines to treat fever-associated cold and flu. Also, symptoms like sore throat, nose block, productive cough, and throat congestion, according to Marion Biotech’s website.
Noida-based Marion Biotech manufactures pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and herbal and cosmetic products. It not only caters to the Indian market but also exports to South East Asia, Africa, Latin America, Russia, and ex-Soviet Republics.