Cough syrup company owner arrested after deaths of 17 children in India

Photo: Shutterstock, photo editor: Adelina Mamedova

Indian authorities arrested the owner of Chennai-based Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, whose cough syrup is linked to at least 17 child deaths in Madhya Pradesh, according to Reuters.

The children, all under the age of five, reportedly died after taking «Coldrif,» a cough syrup later confirmed by lab tests to contain toxic levels of diethylene glycol, nearly 500 times above the legal limit. Following the test results, authorities banned the product in several regions.

After earlier incidents in Gambia, Uzbekistan and Cameroon linked Indian syrups to child deaths, additional export testing requirements were introduced in 2023. Indian law already required drug manufacturers to test both raw materials and finished products for quality assurance.

India’s drug regulator acknowledged gaps in oversight after child deaths linked to toxic cough syrup, admitting that some manufacturers failed to conduct required safety tests on raw materials and finished medicines.

Authorities have also warned people not to use two other cough syrups, Respifresh and RELIFE, manufactured by Shape Pharma and Rednex Pharmaceuticals in Gujarat, after tests revealed the presence of the same toxic compound.

India, the world’s largest producer of generic medicines by volume, supplies about 40% of generic drugs to the U.S. and over 90% to several African countries.