7 India-Made Syrups On List Of 20 Products Flagged By WHO Probe

The World Health Organisation today flagged seven India-made syrups during a probe on contaminated medicines and syrups linked to over 300 deaths globally.

20 syrups, manufactured by pharmaceuticals from India and Indonesia, have been flagged by the WHO, a WHO spokesperson told NDTV. These medicines include cough syrups and vitamins manufactured by various pharmaceuticals.

A few countries, including Uzbekistan, Gambia, and Nigeria, have recently linked India-made medicines with deaths.

WHO also raised medical product alerts on India-made cough syrups that were linked to deaths in Gambia and Uzbekistan earlier.

India's drug controller had launched a swift probe on manufacturers, including Noida's Marion Biotech, Haryana-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals, Chennai-based Global pharma, and Punjab's QP Pharmachem, halting their operations.

Sources at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), the national regulatory body for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, said the Health Ministry's new mechanism of making sure that all medicines are tested for quality control before exports will make sure there are corrective measures.