UP suspends licence of cough syrup maker linked to Uzbekistan deaths

marion-biotech
The Indian maker of cough syrups, that was linked to the death of 19 children in Uzbekistan, had halted production of all medicines in December after an inspection by the drug regulator. Photo: Reuters./Anushree Fadnavis

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh has suspended the production license of Marion Biotech, whose cough syrup has been linked to the death of 19 children in Uzbekistan, Moneycontrol website reported on Tuesday. Marion Biotech did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The Indian maker of cough syrups, that was linked to the death of 19 children in Uzbekistan, had halted production of all medicines last month after an inspection by the drug regulator.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had said in December that investigations were continuing, and production was suspended at the Marion Biotech unit in Noida, outside Delhi, while a senior executive for the firm said they were awaiting reports following the inspection.

Hasan Harris, Marion Biotech's legal head, told Reuters partner ANI, "We await the reports, the factory was inspected. We've halted production of all medicines."

Uzbekistan's health ministry said last month at least 19 children died in Samarkand city after consuming Marion Biotech's Dok-1 Max syrup.

The Uzbekistan case follows deaths of at least 70 children in Gambia that had been linked to cough and cold syrups manufactured by New Delhi-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd. The company denied any wrongdoing, and Indian government inspectors found no contamination in test samples of cough syrups linked to deaths in Gambia and said they met government standards.

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