Death of 66 Gambian children: No contamination in Sonepat-based Maiden Pharma's syrups, India writes to WHO

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 15

India on Thursday said the World Health Organisation (WHO) drew a premature deduction in linking cold and cough syrup products of Sonepat-based Maiden Pharma to the death of 66 Gambian children in late September this year. It said the control samples of the four products in question tested domestically were not found to contain contaminants diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG).

“It is clear that perhaps premature deduction was drawn on September 29 itself regarding the cause of death of children. Every subsequent alert or publication from the WHO only seems to be a reaffirmation of the deduction without waiting for independent verification,” India’s drug regulator VG Somani said in a letter to the WHO, which had issued a global medical alert in respect of four cold and cough syrups manufactured by the Sonepat firm on October 5.

Somani said that as per the test reports received from a government laboratory in India, all control samples of the four products in question had been found to be complying with specifications. “Further, DEG and EG were not detected in these products.” The Indian drug regulator also said another ingredient propylene glycol in the said products was sourced from Goyal Pharma Chen Delhi which is recorded to have been imported from a firm in South Korea.

Somani said the statement issued by the WHO in October this year was amplified, which led to a narrative being built internationally targeting the quality of Indian pharmaceutical products.

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