Over 20 Children Die After Taking Cough Syrup... Indian Pharmaceutical Company Used Toxic Substance at 400 Times the Limit

DEG Levels in Syrup Reach 46-48%
Over 20 Children Under Age 5 Die After Consumption

In India, over 20 children have died after consuming cough syrup, and the CEO of the pharmaceutical company that manufactured and sold the product has been arrested by local police.

According to local media outlets such as the Times of India and NDTV on October 9 (local time), Indian police arrested Ranganathan Govindan, 75, the CEO of the pharmaceutical company Sresan, on charges including involuntary manslaughter. Govindan is accused of selling the cough syrup "Coldrif," which contained diethylene glycol (DEG) levels far exceeding the permissible limit, resulting in the deaths of more than 20 children under the age of five who consumed the product.

Arrested pharmaceutical company Sresan's CEO Ranganathan Govindan. Screenshot from Indian Express website, Photo by Yonhap News.

After a series of child deaths, Govindan fled, but was apprehended in the early hours of the day in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, by police from Madhya Pradesh, who had placed a 20,000 rupee (approximately 320,000 won) bounty on him. Police also confiscated documents related to the cough syrup from the factory owned by Govindan.

NDTV reported that Sresan was found to have added 46-48% DEG to the Coldrif syrup, far exceeding the permitted limit of 0.1%. In addition, unregistered DEG containers were discovered at the Sresan factory in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.

DEG Used as Substitute for Glycerin

DEG, a toxic substance, is primarily used in industrial products such as automotive antifreeze. However, some pharmaceutical companies use it as a substitute for glycerin, the solvent in syrups, due to its lower cost. Ingesting DEG above the permissible limit can cause symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, and decreased urination, and in severe cases can lead to acute renal failure, seizures, or death. The affected children reportedly died after developing acute kidney injury symptoms following consumption of the cough syrup.

Indian cough syrup containing excessive harmful substances. Screenshot from NDTV homepage, Yonhap News.

At the Sresan factory, authorities found rusted or malfunctioning equipment and evidence of violations of hygiene and safety regulations. Some media outlets reported that the facility had not been properly maintained for the past 14 years. Following the recent deaths last month, nine Indian states, including Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, banned the sale of the cough syrup in question. Sresan’s pharmaceutical license is currently suspended.

This is not the first time Indian-made cough syrup has caused problems. In 2022, at least 69 children died in The Gambia, West Africa, after consuming cough syrup produced by an Indian pharmaceutical company. In 2023, 19 children in Uzbekistan also died after ingesting Indian-made cough syrup. The World Health Organization warned that more than 300 children in seven countries worldwide have died due to Indian and Indonesian cough syrups containing excessive amounts of DEG and other toxic substances, urging member countries to strengthen monitoring of manufacturing and distribution processes. The Indian government has also mandated that exporters obtain certificates from government laboratories verifying ingredient testing before exporting cough syrup.