India orders pharma firm to stop production after Gambia infant deaths

Anil Vij, the minister of health for Haryana, announced on Wednesday that the state has decided to "completely stop" Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited of Sonipat from producing any further drugs.

The government has also issued a notice to the company after at least “12 flaws were found in the production of medicines during the joint inspection conducted by the drugs department teams of the Centre and state government”.

The development follows a World Health Organization (WHO) caution about four cough syrups produced by the firm following child fatalities in The Gambia.

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Following the WHO notice, the Haryana government had already sent samples of the four cough syrups made by the pharmaceutical business to the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL), located in Kolkata.

“The report is awaited and further action shall be taken accordingly. But, in the joint inspection conducted by the teams of the central and state drugs department, 12 flaws were found. Thus, we have decided that the total production of this pharmaceutical company should be stopped. A notice has been issued to the company,” Vij said.

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On October 6, Haryana demanded a probe into claims that the company's Sonipat factory was producing tainted cough syrups.

The samples were taken, and they were forwarded to Kolkata for additional analysis.

The Drugs Controller General of India, India's drug enforcement agency, has also opened an investigation.

(with inputs from agencies)