CHENNAI: Authorities have detected adulteration in samples of cough syrups produced by a city-based pharmaceutical company, prompting an immediate halt in production and intensifying regulatory action after recent child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Officials from the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) confirmed that test results of syrups collected during an inspection at the firm's manufacturing unit in Sunguvarchathram, Kancheepuram district, revealed the medicines were adulterated.
The company has been ordered to explain the findings and cease production until further notice.
The crackdown follows the Tamil Nadu government's statewide ban on the cough syrup brand Coldrif, enforced from October 1, after concerns that the medicine may have been linked to the death of at least 11 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan due to suspected kidney failure.
Health authorities have also cleared stocks of the syrup from the local market to prevent further risk.
According to officials, the same manufacturer had supplied its cough syrups to multiple states, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Puducherry, raising concerns about the reach of the potentially unsafe product.
Samples collected last week were sent to state-run laboratories for detailed analysis, and the initial results confirmed contamination.
The ripple effect of the safety scare has been felt across states. On Saturday, the Madhya Pradesh government announced a ban on the sale of Coldrif after nine child deaths were reported since September 7 due to suspected renal failure.