Uzbekistan blames Indian-made cough syrup for killing 18 children

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Uzbekistan’s health ministry blames Indian-made cough syrup for the deaths of 18 children. File photo by Steffen Frank/Pixabay

Dec. 28 (UPI) – At least 18 children have died in Uzbekistan after the country’s health ministry claimed they consumed cough syrup made in India.

The ministry said the children consumed Doc-1 Max cough syrup, which is made by Marion Biotech, according to a statement released Tuesday.

The ministry said one batch of syrup contained ethylene glycol, which health officials say is a toxic substance.

Ethylene glycol consumption can cause vomiting, fainting, seizures, cardiovascular problems and acute kidney failure, according to the release.

Uzbekistan’s health ministry says 18 out of 21 children who consumed the cough syrup, while suffering from an acute respiratory illness, died after taking it.

The syrup is marketed on the Marion Biotech website as a treatment for cold and flu symptoms. The ministry said the over-the-counter drug was given to children at home without a doctor’s prescription and at a higher dose.

Since the deaths, Uzbekistan has ordered that all Doc-1 Max tablets and syrups be removed from pharmacies.

India, often referred to as the “pharmacy of the world”, produces about a third of the world’s medicines and mainly generic drugs.

The deaths in Uzbekistan come after at least 70 children died in The Gambia after consuming another brand of cough syrup made in India.

Last week, a parliamentary committee in The Gambia recommended that New Delhi-based cough syrup maker Maiden Pharmaceuticals be held accountable for exporting what it called “contaminated medicines”.

In its report, the Gambian parliamentary commission said the syrups contained diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, which are toxic to humans. The children, all under the age of five, died of acute kidney injury between June and November, after taking the cough syrup.

The World Health Organization issued an alert in October advising regulators to stop selling four Maiden Pharmaceuticals cough syrups.

The Indian government and Maiden Pharmaceuticals have denied that the drugs were responsible for the children’s deaths.

Marion Biotech has not released a statement regarding the deaths in Uzbekistan. The Indian government is investigating.

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