Pharma companies failed to follow rules, says CDSCO, as cough syrup death toll climbs to 20

As the death toll of children linked to consumption of contaminated cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh went up to 20 on Wednesday, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has found that drug companies have failed to follow rules that every batch of medicinal ingredients must be tested. An advisory by the drugs controller general of India, Rajeev Raghuvanshi to state governments also stated that the regulator had carried out checks at manufacturing facilities and found serious lapses.

Later in the day, Madhya Pradesh deputy chief minister Rajendra Shukla while confirming the deaths of 20 children after drinking the toxic cough syrup Coldrif manufactured by one Sresan Pharmaceutical in its Tamil Nadu unit, said five are under treatment for kidney failure.

Reuters reported, quo