Maiden Pharma's cough syrup samples found to be of standard quality, says govt
Gambia children deaths
New Delhi (PTI): Cough syrup samples of Maiden Pharmaceuticals have been found to be of standard quality, the government has told Parliament, weeks after the WHO alerted that the firm's cough syrups could potentially be linked to the death of children in Gambia.
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in coordination with State Drug Controller, Haryana had carried out a joint investigation of Maiden Pharmaceuticals in Kundli, Sonepat to ascertain the facts that allegedly led to the death of 66 children in the West African country.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the State Drug Controller, Haryana had given licenses to the company for manufacture of four drugs for export only, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Bhagwanth Khuba said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on December 13.
The four drugs are -- Promethazine Oral Solution BP, KOFEXMALIN Baby Cough Syrup, MaKOFF Baby Cough syrup and MaGrip n Cold Syrup,
These drugs are not licensed for manufacture and sale in India and are not marketed or distributed here, he added.
"Further, control samples of the aforementioned drugs were drawn and sent for test and analysis to Regional Drug Testing Laboratory, (RDTL) Chandigarh by the investigating team. As per the report of the Government Analyst, the samples have been declared to be of standard quality," the minister said.
As per the reply, the samples were also found negative for both Diethylene Glycol (DEG) and Ethylene Glycol (EG).
Earlier in October, the Haryana State Drugs Controller had stopped all the manufacturing activities of Maiden Pharmaceuticals at Sonepat after the WHO issued an alert saying the firm's cough syrups could potentially be linked to the death of children in Gambia.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
