WORLD NEWS | Uzbekistan arrests four in connection with cough syrup death: report

Tashkent [Uzbekistan]Jan 6 (ANI): Uzbekistan has arrested four people in an investigation into the death of 19 children who ate cough syrup made by Indian drugmaker Marion Biotech, Reuters reported on Friday, citing Uzbekistan’s state security service.

Two of those arrested were senior employees of the Center for the Science of Drug Standardization who circumvented proper testing procedures for Doc-1 Max cough syrup, the report said.

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The other two are executives at Quramax Medikal, which imports Marion Biotech’s drug, according to Reuters.

Noida-based pharmaceutical company Marion Biotech has been clouded by reports in Uzbekistan of children dying after consuming cough syrup produced there. The matter is under investigation. Last month, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said all manufacturing activities at Noida Pharmaceuticals had been halted in light of reports of contamination of the cough syrup Dok1 Max.

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“Inspected by @CDSCO_INDIA_INF [Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation] In view of reports of contamination of cough syrup Dok1 Max, all production activities of Marion Biotech at NOIDA unit have been halted last night while further investigation is ongoing,” Mansukh Mandaviya said in an earlier tweet.

Earlier, the Indian mission in Uzbekistan offered its condolences to the family of the child who died allegedly from consuming contaminated cough syrup Dok1 Max produced by Marion Biotech in Noida.

India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has also been in regular contact with Uzbekistan’s National Drug Regulatory Agency since December 27 under the direction of the Indian Ministry of Health, the Indian mission said.

The embassy had said samples of the cough syrup had been taken from the manufacturing site and sent to the Regional Drug Testing Laboratory (RDTL) in Chandigarh, India for testing.

The Indian mission stated that from December 27, 2022, under the guidance of the Indian Ministry of Health, India’s Central Drug Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) is also in regular contact with the Uzbekistan National Drug Regulatory Agency. (Arnie)

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