- Thursday, February 27, 2025
The firm which was asked to stop manufacturing activities is Riemann Labs, based in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, deputy health minister Bharati Pravin Pawar told the parliament.
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE Narendra Modi government on Tuesday (1) said that it has asked a drug maker, whose cough syrup was linked to deaths of at least six minors in Cameroon, to halt the manufacturing.
The said firm is the fourth from India to face a crackdown over tainted drugs.
The move comes as regulators in India increase inspections at drugmakers after cough syrups produced in the country were connected to deaths of many children overseas, hurting the South Asian nation’s image as the “world’s pharmacy”.
The firm which was asked to stop manufacturing activities is Riemann Labs, based in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, following an inspection by drug regulators from both New Delhi and the state, India’s deputy health minister Bharati Pravin Pawar told the parliament which is currently in session.
Rajesh Bhatia, one of the three directors at the company, according to its website, told Reuters over phone that he was not aware of the matter and refused to answer more questions.
India has suspended manufacturing licenses for three cough syrup manufacturers thus far.
Cough syrups manufactured by two of the three firms were linked to deaths of nearly 90 children in The Gambia and Uzbekistan. The companies, however, denied any wrongdoing.
Recently, the World Health Organisation said that a batch of cough and cold syrup sold in Cameroon under the brand name Naturcold had a dangerously high level of a toxic ingredient.
The world agency has also sought India’s help to track the drug’s origin.
The junior health minister did not mention the name of the cough syrup sold by Reimann in Cameroon.
India has recently taken a stern stand on testing cough syrup exports, making it mandatory for companies to get a certificate of analysis from a government laboratory before sending products abroad.
