New Delhi: Production at Marion Biotech, a Noida-based pharmaceutical firm whose cough syrup is alleged to have led to the death of 18 children in Uzbekistan last year, continues to remain at a halt, said Uttar Pradesh Dy Commissioner (Drugs) Shashi Mohan Gupta.
Talking to CNBC-TV18, Gupta added, “As of date production at Marion Biotech manufacturing unit remains suspended. The company has been asked to submit corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) plan/ report. The production suspension order issued on 27 Dec 2022 continues to remain in force. Today itself a drug inspector visited their manufacturing facility and no production is happening at the facility. Once the CAPA plan is shared by the company, as per process, UP state will send it to DCGI for evaluation before issuing any fresh orders.”
Fresh concerns had risen due to media reports hinting at reinstating production at Marion Biotech. News reports had indicated that the September 14 order issued by the state government had allowed partial production to begin at Marion Biotech. News Agency Reuters, on October 11, reported that the UP government had allowed Marion Biotech to resume production of most of the items.
Denying any such orders being issued by the state government, Gupta added, “No such orders have been issued.”
Expressing similar sentiments Noida drug inspector Vaibhav Babbar, said, “The manufacturing plant of Marion Biotech remains at a halt since December 2022. No production is happening. Production continues to remain stopped.”
The licence of Marion Biotech was cancelled in December 2022 by authorities as the Uzbekistan government found that Marion Biotech’s samples of ‘Dok1 Max syrup’ and ‘Ambronol cough syrup’ were contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG).
DEG is an industrial solvent used as an antifreeze agent. However, according to WHO standards, the use of DEG is prohibited as it is considered to be fatal, even if it is consumed in small quantities.
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