WHO: We are in touch with Uzbek authorities

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday (December 30) that it is in touch with Uzbekistan’s authorities after the government and multiple media reports said that 18 children in the country died after consuming Dok-1 Max- a cold and flu syrup manufactured by Indian-based pharmaceutical Marion Biotech.

“We are in touch with the Uzbek authorities and are still in the process of gathering information and validating these reports,” the WHO told news agency ANI.

Earlier, Uzbekistan’s health ministry had said that the Dok-1 Max syrup contained ethylene glycol- a toxic substance. The ministry said the syrup was administered in doses that were higher than the standard dose for children, either by their parents who mistook it for an anti-cold remedy or on pharmacists’ advice. The victims, most of them between five months and four years old, died of acute renal failure, news agency AFP reported on Thursday.

Sales of all medicines by Marion Biotech have been temporarily suspended in Uzbekistan.

Currently, Marion Biotech has halted production of all its medicines at its unit in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Taking to Twitter, India’s health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Friday, “All manufacturing activities of Marion Biotech at Noida unit have been stopped yesterday night, while further investigation is ongoing.”

Additionally, India’s chemicals and fertilizers ministry issued an order on Thursday where it laid out specifications to regulate the sale of ethylene glycol from the end of March.

The deaths of 18 children in Uzbekistan come months after at least 70 children in Gambia died from acute kidney injury (AKI) linked to the consumption of cough and cold syrups manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceuticals, another Indian pharmaceutical.