A government notice showed today, Tuesday, that India will make tests mandatory for cough syrups before exporting them, after Indian-made cough medicines were linked to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia and Uzbekistan.
The government said in a notice dated May 22 and released by the Health Ministry on Tuesday that any cough syrup must have a certificate of analysis issued by a government laboratory before it can be exported, effective June 1.
India’s $41 billion pharmaceutical industry is one of the largest in the world, but its reputation has been shaken after the World Health Organization (WHO) found toxins in cough medicines made by three Indian companies.
Juices made by two of these companies were linked to the deaths of 70 children in Gambia and 19 in Uzbekistan last year.
The notice issued by the Ministry of Commerce stated that “the export of cough syrup is permitted after testing the export sample and issuing a certificate of analysis.”
The Department of Health did not immediately respond to an inquiry as to whether testing is required for cough syrups sold in the local market.
The notice identified seven federal state laboratories where samples could be sent for testing, as well as other state laboratories accredited by a national accreditation body.
Indian tests of a cough syrup by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd, which has been linked to infant deaths in The Gambia, found no toxins but contaminants were detected in several medicines made by Marion Biotech, whose syrups have been linked to deaths in Uzbekistan.
MI