Over 100 pharmaceutical companies in India have failed recent quality tests for their cough syrups. This comes as the Government of India has introduced new manufacturing standards for these medicines. The move follows a series of tragic incidents where cough syrups from India have been linked to multiple deaths overseas.

What Happened?

The cough syrups in question were found to contain harmful toxins similar to those found in medicines linked to the deaths of over 141 children in Gambia, Cameroon, and Uzbekistan. Specifically, these syrups were tainted with Diethylene Glycol or Ethylene Glycol, substances that caused severe kidney damage and were linked to the deaths of young children in Gambia.

India's Pharma Industry

India's pharmaceutical sector, valued at around $50 billion, is one of the largest in the world. It supplies more than half of the global vaccine demand and is a major provider of generic drugs. The country meets about 40% of the generic drug needs in the U.S. and supplies a quarter of all medicines in the U.K.

New Measures

In response to these issues, India is working to improve its Certificate of the Pharmaceutical Product (CoPP) to meet World Health Organization (WHO) standards. This update is aimed at ensuring better safety and quality control in pharmaceutical products.

Recent Actions

In December 2023, India's drug regulators took action by banning certain anti-cold drugs for children under the age of four and mandated clearer labeling for these products. This decision came after the global incidents involving Indian cough syrups.

Ongoing Scrutiny

The controversy surrounding Indian cough syrups began in October 2022, when the WHO reported that cough syrups from India were linked to the deaths of children in Gambia. Since then, laboratories across India both government-run and private have been conducting extensive tests to ensure safety and compliance with new regulations.

The focus now is on improving the quality and safety of pharmaceutical products to prevent such tragedies in the future.