Page 5 - Cough Syrup

Rs 50 lakh worth of banned phensedyl syrup seized from truck in Meghalaya

Meghalaya police has seized over 44,000 bottles of banned phensedyl cough syrup worth close to Rs 50 lakh from an abandoned truck in East Jaintia Hills district, police said on Wednesday. Acting on a tip-off, police detected two trucks coming from the opposite direction at Lumshnong both bearing the same registration numbers. While the truck proceeding from Assam stopped, the other drove rashly instead and when pursued, the driver abandoned it, district SP Jagpal Dhanoa told PTI. When police searched the truck in the presence of independent witnesses, 150 bags containing 44,900 bottles (100 ml) each of banned phensedyl syrup were recovered. The latest seizure comes a few days after the Meghalaya police busted a fake phensedyl factory in nearby West Jaintia Hills district in which 3 persons were arrested. The cost of a 100ml phensedyl bottle is around Rs 100 in India while it fetches nearly 10 times its price in Bangladesh.

Cough syrup deaths overseas prompts US crackdown on toxic testing

The manufacturers include U.S.-based companies and exporters from India, South Korea, Switzerland, Canada and Egypt

2,000 bottles of banned cough syrup seized, three arrested in Bengal

Around 2,000 bottles of banned cough syrup Phensedyl were seized and three people were arrested on Tuesday in West Bengal's Nadia district which borders Bangladesh, police said. Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted two vehicles in Natunpara in Bhimpur police station area and seized the cough syrup bottles, while arresting the occupants, a police officer said. The arrested persons are residents of Nadia's Karimpur, which is close to the India-Bangladesh border. Phensedyl contains codeine, which is a narcotic drug that causes addiction when used in large quantities over a period of time. The cough syrup is used as an intoxicant in Bangladesh as an alternative to alcohol.

Cough syrups to painkillers: Bar codes on 11 habit-forming drugs soon

According to the health ministry, this is being done to stop the misuse and illicit trade of these drugs

WHO issues alert over another India-made syrup, flags' substandard' quality

Deaths due to toxic cough syrups first made headlines in October when the WHO issued a global alert for four such medicines manufactured in India

WHO raises alert on 'contaminated' India-made cough syrup in Iraq

WHO referred to one batch of substandard or contaminated syrup - Cold Out (Paracetamol and Chlorpheniramine Maleate) - in Iraq which was reported to the WHO on July 10

WHO flags contaminated syrup in Iraq made by India's Fourrts Laboratories

The United Nations agency in its medical products alert said the batch of the syrup, branded Cold Out, had higher than acceptable limit of contaminants diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol

CDSCO orders Riemann Labs to stop making cough syrup linked to deaths

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in coordination with State Drug Controllers of Madhya Pradesh has directed pharma firm Riemann Labs to halt manufacturing of its cough syrup that was linked to deaths of children in Cameroon. "In the case of Cameroon, a joint inspection was conducted by CDSCO, sub-zone Indore with SLA, Madhya Pradesh at M/s Riemann Labs, Indore and based on the findings the State Drugs Controller MP has directed the firm to stop the manufacturing activities," Minister of State (MoS) for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The World Health Organization (WHO) had on July 19 issued an alert regarding cough syrup supplied in Cameroon stating an analysis has found that the product contained "unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol as contaminants." The makers of Naturcold listed paracetamol, phenylephrine hydrochloride, and chlorpheniramine maleate as active ingredients, and a combination of these three i

India finds 'violations' at cough syrup maker linked to Cameroon deaths

Authorities have stepped up scrutiny of drugmakers after some cough syrups made in India were linked to deaths of dozens of children overseas

Govt orders firm linked to Cameroon cough syrup deaths to stop production

The move comes as Indian regulators step up inspections at drugmakers after cough syrups made in the country were linked to the deaths of dozens of children overseas, denting India's image as the "pha

India suspends another drugmaker's licence over tainted cough syrup

India has suspended a drugmaker's manufacturing licence after the World Health Organization flagged contamination in its cough syrups found in the Mashall Islands and Micronesia in April

Explained: Toxic cough syrups and India's pharma oversight

A devastating outbreak in Gambia claimed the lives of 60 kids. Tests conducted by WHO revealed that the cause was toxic industrial solvents found in cheap,over-the-counter syrups made by Maiden Pharma

Gambia in advanced stage of exploring legal action over Indian cough syrup

Families of 20 of the children have already sued the two companies as well as Gambian authorities

WHO seeks help from India in latest toxic syrup-deaths case in Cameroon

The alert about Naturcold is the latest of several similar warnings issued in recent months about contaminated cough syrups sold worldwide

Chemists to take pholcodine cough medicines off shelves after WHO alert

DCGI issues advisory to doctors and patients after risks of anaphylactic reactions

DCGI warns against use of pholcodine-containing cough syrups, cites risks

Regulator asks doctors to suggest an alternative to patients for treating their symptoms

Have taken regulatory action against 105 pharma companies: Health minister

Mandaviya said that after 137 firms were inspected, production has been stopped at 31 companies and the product licenses of 50 firms have been cancelled

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Poisoned cough syrup traced to India reveals lapses in regulation

From cough syrup to eyedrops to life-saving medications, quality lapses in one country can now endanger lives elsewhere as never before

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