Three states ban Coldrif cough syrup as tests confirm toxins amid child deaths

The Madhya Pradesh government on Saturday banned the sale and distribution of Coldrif cough syrup after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of a highly toxic chemical, Diethylene Glycol (DEG), in samples collected from the same batch linked to the deaths of nine children in Chhindwara district.

According to a copy of the directive accessed by Aaj Tak, the state’s drug controller said the syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceutical in Tamil Nadu’s Kanchipuram district, was found “non-standard and defective (NSQ)” based on a test report from the Tamil Nadu Drug Control Directorate, dated October 2.

After the deaths of children came to light, the Madhya Pradesh government requested the Tamil Nadu authorities to investigate the pharma company making the drug. The state received the investigation report on Friday morning, which prompted the immediate ban. The ban also extends to other products manufactured by the same company.

The report revealed that the Coldrif syrup sample contained 48.6% Diethylene Glycol (w/v) that can cause acute kidney and liver failure. Officials said the contamination made the medicine “unsafe for human consumption”.

The state drug



controller ordered that the sale, distribution and disposal of Coldrif cough syrup be stopped with immediate effect. All available stocks have been directed to be sealed and not destroyed or sold until further instructions.

Officials have been told to collect additional samples of the syrup from across the state and send them for analysis by hand to government testing laboratories. The order also directs that any other batches of Coldrif syrup found in the market must be seized and frozen.

The ban follows similar action by the Tamil Nadu government, which prohibited the sale of Coldrif syrup from October 1 after suspicions arose linking it to the deaths of at least 12 children — nine in Madhya Pradesh, two in Maharashtra, and one in Rajasthan. Preliminary enquiries suggested that the children fell ill after being administered Coldrif, prompting health authorities to send samples for testing.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had earlier termed the deaths “extremely tragic,” saying that action was taken against the company and its other products. He said the state had sought a probe from the Tamil Nadu government and acted immediately upon receiving the lab report confirming contamination.