Uzbekistan cough syrup deaths: 3 employees of Noida pharma firm arrested, directors at large
As many as three employees of a Noida-based pharmaceutical firm, Marion Biotech, whose cough syrup is alleged to have led to the death of 18 children in Uzbekistan last year, were arrested.
The officials were arrested on charges of manufacturing and sale of adulterated drugs, officials told news agency PTI. In December last year, Uzbekistan claimed that at least 18 children in the country had died after allegedly taking an India-manufactured cough syrup. According to Uzbekistan’s health ministry, laboratory tests of a batch of syrups found “the presence of ethylene glycol”, a toxic substance.
The ministry said ethylene glycol were administered in doses higher than the standard for children, either by their parents, who mistook it for an anti-cold remedy, or on the advice of pharmacists.
The officials then inspected the manufacturing facility of the cough syrup and collected the Dok-1 Max cough syrup samples from the plant. The samples were sent for contamination testing to the Regional Drugs Testing Laboratory (RDTL) in Chandigarh.
The arrests were made after an FIR was lodged on Thursday against five officials of Marion Biotech, including two of its directors, over a complaint by a drugs inspector of the CDSCO, officials told PTI.
Police said the directors of the company are at large and a search is underway to apprehend them. Noida Phase 3 police station in-charge Vijay Kumar said those arrested have been identified as Tuhin Bhattacharya, head operation; Atul Rawat, manufacturing chemist; and Mool Singh, analytical chemist.
The absconding directors of the firm who have been booked are Jaya Jain and Sachin Jain, Kumar said.
“Three people associated with Marion Biotech, which is located in Sector 67, were today arrested by the local Phase 3 police station officials. These people were engaged in preparation and sale of fake drugs which caused serious harm to public,” Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Noida) Rajiv Dixit said.
“Besides the three suspects who have been arrested, there are two more directors of the company for whom searches are underway and they will also be arrested soon. With their act, these people were endangering human life and human health,” Dixit said.
The officer added that a comprehensive legal investigation in the case will be carried out.
SALE, DISTRIBUTION OF DRUG TO BE STOPPED
Central and Uttar Pradesh drug authorities had checked samples of Marion Biotech products and found 22 of them to be “not of standard quality” (adulterated and spurious), according to the complainant drug inspector.
Marion Biotech has been asked by the Drugs Inspector from Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), North Zone to stop the sale and distribution of the drug concerned.
“Notice is also hereby issued to you to reply within seven days from the receipt of this letter, why action shall not be taken against you for violation of section 18(a)(i) of the act, failing which it will be presumed that you have nothing to say in this matter and necessary action shall be initiated against you without any further notice,” the notice issued on March 3 said.
On January 12, the World Health Organization (WHO) had issued a ‘medical product alert’, referring to two substandard (contaminated) products, identified in Uzbekistan and reported to it on December 22, 2022.