Exclusive: WHO investigating links between cough syrup deaths, considers advice for parents - Reuters

Jan 24 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating whether determination is immoderate transportation betwixt manufacturers whose contaminated cough syrups it has linked to the deaths of much than 300 children successful 3 countries, a idiosyncratic acquainted with the substance told Reuters.

Citing “unacceptable levels” of toxins successful the products, the WHO is seeking much accusation astir the circumstantial earthy materials utilized by six manufacturers successful India and Indonesia to nutrient medicines linked to the caller deaths, arsenic good arsenic whether the companies obtained them from immoderate of the aforesaid suppliers, the idiosyncratic said. The WHO has not named immoderate suppliers.

The WHO besides is considering whether to counsel families globally to reassess the usage of cough syrups for children successful wide portion questions implicit the information of immoderate of these products are unresolved, the idiosyncratic said. WHO experts are evaluating the grounds for whether, oregon when, specified products are medically indispensable for children, the idiosyncratic said.

The deaths of children from acute kidney wounded began successful July 2022 successful Gambia, followed by cases successful Indonesia and Uzbekistan. The WHO has said the deaths are linked to over-the-counter cough syrups the children took for communal illnesses and which contained a known toxin, either diethylene glycol oregon ethylene glycol.

To date, the WHO has identified six drugmakers successful India and Indonesia who produced the syrups. These manufacturers person either declined to remark connected the probe oregon denied utilizing contaminated materials that contributed to immoderate deaths. Reuters has nary grounds of wrongdoing by the companies the WHO has named.

“This is of the highest precedence for us, to spot nary much kid deaths from thing that is truthful preventable,” WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said, without commenting further connected the details of the organisation's work.

The United Nations wellness bureau said connected Monday it had widened its probe into imaginable diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol contamination successful cough syrups to 4 further countries wherever the aforesaid products whitethorn person been connected sale: Cambodia, the Philippines, East Timor and Senegal. It called connected different governments and the planetary pharmaceutical manufacture to motorboat urgent checks to basal retired substandard medicines and amended regulation.

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) said successful an emailed connection connected Tuesday that its members "are already doing what the WHO is calling for", successful enactment with nationalist and planetary guidelines.

The WHO is expected to remark further connected the cough syrup concern during a quality league aboriginal connected Tuesday.

The WHO has already issued circumstantial alerts for cough syrups made by 2 Indian manufacturers, Maiden Pharmaceuticals and Marion Biotech, successful October 2022 and earlier this month. It said their syrups were linked to deaths successful Gambia and Uzbekistan respectively, and the alerts asked radical to halt utilizing them.

Maiden and Marion’s manufacturing plants person some been shuttered. Maiden is present seeking to reopen aft the Indian authorities said successful December that its investigating had recovered nary problems with Maiden’s products.

Maiden has repeatedly told Reuters, including in December, that it did thing incorrect and Managing Director Naresh Kumar Goyal said connected Tuesday helium had nary remark connected WHO investigating imaginable connections betwixt the companies nether scrutiny.

Marion’s bureau telephone went unanswered connected Tuesday and the institution did not instantly respond to an email seeking comment. Earlier this month, it told the authorities of Uttar Pradesh, wherever it is located adjacent New Delhi, that it was being blamed for the deaths successful Uzbekistan “to malign the representation of India and the company”.

The WHO, moving with Indonesia’s drugs regulator, besides issued an alert successful October astir cough syrups made by 4 Indonesian manufacturers and sold domestically. The manufacturers are: PT Yarindo Farmatama, PT Universal Pharmaceutical, PT Konimex, PT AFI Farma.

PT Yarindo Farmatama, PT Konimex and PT AFI Farma did not instantly respond to requests for remark connected Tuesday astir the WHO investigating connections betwixt the deaths successful the 3 countries.

PT Universal Pharmaceutical Industries’ lawyer, Hermansyah Hutagalung, said it had pulled from the marketplace each cough syrups deemed dangerous. “Chase the suppliers, they’re the existent criminals,” Hutagalung added. “They’re the ones that forge earthy ingredients by falsifying earthy constituent documents each the mode to pharmaceutical companies.” He did not place circumstantial suppliers oregon springiness details to backmost up the claim.

The WHO said the syrups were contaminated with diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, which it called “ toxic chemicals utilized arsenic concern solvents and antifreeze agents that tin beryllium fatal adjacent taken successful tiny amounts.” Their toxic effects see an inability to walk urine, kidney wounded and death.

The deaths person highlighted imaginable gaps successful planetary regularisation of commonly-used medications, including oversight of factories and proviso chains, peculiarly those producing products for processing countries which deficiency the resources to show medicines for safety.

The WHO sets guidelines connected medicine manufacturing standards globally and supports countries investigating immoderate lapses, but it has nary ineligible mandate oregon enforcement authorization to instrumentality nonstop enactment against violators.

Additional reporting by Prak Chan Thul successful Phnom Penh, Stanley Widianto and Ananda Teresia successful Jakarta, Krishna N. Das successful New Delhi, Saurabh Sharma successful Lucknow, Ed McAllister successful Dakar; Editing by Sara Ledwith, Michele Gershberg and Claudia Parsons

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