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Distributors of the contaminated cough syrup produced by Noida-based Marion Biotech Limited had allegedly paid bribes to keep the drug in the market, said authorities from Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan state prosecutors alleged during a trial that $33,000 was paid by the distributors to skip the mandatory testing, reported Reuters.
However, it is unclear whether the inspection was supposed to involve tests in Uzbekistan or a request for tests to be carried out by the producer in India.
The case pertains to the deaths of 65 children in the Central Asian country, after consuming the cough syrup (Dok 1 Max) produced by the Indian- based company.
The drug produced by Marion-Biotech Limited, whose manufacturing license was permanently canceled by the Indian government, contained a potentially fatal compound ethylene glycol in it.
In December last year, Uzbekistan announced the death of 20 children in the country after the consumption of cough syrup. However, the country’s Health Ministry later increased the toll to 65. However, they have not made it clear how 45 children’s deaths remained unreported.
The Central Asian country put 21 people, including one Indian, on trial in connection with the case.
Seven of the 21 defendants pleaded guilty to at least some of the charges against them, which included tax evasion, sale of substandard or counterfeit medicines, abuse of office, negligence, forgery, and bribery.
Less than a year ago, 66 childern in Gambia died of acute kidney injury on consuming contaminated cough and paracetamol syrups produced by India’s Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd imported into the country.
WATCH | WHO probing Indian cough syrup after 66 children die in Gambia
These syrups had toxic levels of diethylene and ethylene glycol, which led to the cluster of acute kidney injuries among 66 childern.
According to the media reports, Most childern were aged under 2 and died between June and September 2022.
In February this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned against using an eye drop made by India’s Global Pharma Healthcare Pvt Ltd, linking it to the outbreak of a drug-resistant bacteria leading to adverse events in at least 55 patients in the United States including infections, blindness, and one death.
Many Indian firms, in recent months, have come under scrutiny for the quality of their drugs, with experts raising concerns about the manufacturing practices used to make these medicines.
ALSO READ | Focus on India-made cough syrup following WHO alert over contamination
Distributors of the contaminated cough syrup produced by Noida-based Marion Biotech Limited had allegedly paid bribes to keep the drug in the market, said authorities from Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan state prosecutors alleged during a trial that $33,000 was paid by the distributors to skip the mandatory testing, reported Reuters.
However, it is unclear whether the inspection was supposed to involve tests in Uzbekistan or a request for tests to be carried out by the producer in India.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
The case pertains to the deaths of 65 children in the Central Asian country, after consuming the cough syrup (Dok 1 Max) produced by the Indian- based company.
The drug produced by Marion-Biotech Limited, whose manufacturing license was permanently canceled by the Indian government, contained a potentially fatal compound ethylene glycol in it.
In December last year, Uzbekistan announced the death of 20 children in the country after the consumption of cough syrup. However, the country’s Health Ministry later increased the toll to 65. However, they have not made it clear how 45 children’s deaths remained unreported.
The Central Asian country put 21 people, including one Indian, on trial in connection with the case.
Seven of the 21 defendants pleaded guilty to at least some of the charges against them, which included tax evasion, sale of substandard or counterfeit medicines, abuse of office, negligence, forgery, and bribery.
Less than a year ago, 66 childern in Gambia died of acute kidney injury on consuming contaminated cough and paracetamol syrups produced by India’s Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd imported into the country.
WATCH | WHO probing Indian cough syrup after 66 children die in Gambia
These syrups had toxic levels of diethylene and ethylene glycol, which led to the cluster of acute kidney injuries among 66 childern.
According to the media reports, Most childern were aged under 2 and died between June and September 2022.
In February this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned against using an eye drop made by India’s Global Pharma Healthcare Pvt Ltd, linking it to the outbreak of a drug-resistant bacteria leading to adverse events in at least 55 patients in the United States including infections, blindness, and one death.
Many Indian firms, in recent months, have come under scrutiny for the quality of their drugs, with experts raising concerns about the manufacturing practices used to make these medicines.
ALSO READ | Focus on India-made cough syrup following WHO alert over contamination
