The Tamil Nadu government has revoked the manufacturing licence of Sresan Pharmaceutical and ordered an immediate shutdown of its operations following the detection of a toxic chemical in its Coldrif cough syrup, which has been linked to the deaths of several children in Madhya Pradesh.
The decision came after officials from the Tamil Nadu Drug Control Department found 48.6% Diethylene Glycol (DEG) — a highly toxic industrial solvent — present in the cough syrup during a quality inspection. DEG exposure is known to cause severe kidney and neurological damage and has been implicated in multiple cases of mass poisoning worldwide.
According to the state’s health department, inspectors discovered over 300 major and critical violations at Sresan Pharmaceutical’s facility, including the absence of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP). These lapses indicate serious breaches in safety and quality control standards.
The company’s owner, G. Ranganathan, was arrested last week by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Madhya Pradesh, which is probing the deaths linked to the contaminated batch. In addition, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids earlier today at Sresan’s premises and several related locations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
In an official statement, the Tamil Nadu government confirmed:
“The drug manufacturing licence of Sresan Pharmaceuticals has been fully cancelled, and the company has been shut down. Orders have also been issued to carry out a detailed inspection of other drug manufacturing units across Tamil Nadu.”
The move signals a strong stance by the state government against pharmaceutical malpractice and comes amid growing public concern over the safety of cough syrups produced by smaller, lesser-regulated manufacturers in India.
Health authorities have also launched a statewide audit of all pharmaceutical units, aiming to ensure compliance with safety protocols and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Originally published on newsworldstime.com.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
