DEG, AGAIN: HOW ONE POISON KEEPS REWRITING DRUG LAW

The Thalidomide disaster of the early 1960s spurred regulators to adopt stringent Good Manufacturing Practices, emphasising strict process controls, hygiene, raw-material testing and record-keeping to ensure drug quality from start to finish. India inherited British-era regulations and, after independence, codified these GMP standards in Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules.

- ‘TDG NETWORK

On October 8 2025 in Nagpur, India, a 32-year-old father whose three-year-old child is being treated at the Government Medical College holds up a bottle of Coldrif cough syrup -- the product linked to the deaths of 17 children. (Reuters) In Chennai, India, on October 7 2025, a state health official posts a notice on the Sresan Pharmaceutical factory. The company's Coldrif cough syrup has been tied to 17 child deaths in Madhya Pradesh. (Reuters) In Parasia, Madhya Pradesh, on October 9 2025, a 24-year-old mother who lost her child after the child consumed Coldrif cough syrup sits on a sofa. Her child's toys are nearby, with a framed photo of the youngster in the background. The syrup has been linked to multiple child deaths. (Reuters)

(Reuters Reuters Reuters)

tleast17 children died in India from acute kidney failure after taking Coldrif cough syrup.

‘Thecrisiscametolightwhena father in central India showed reportersabottleofthesyrup; tests later found it contained about 48.6% diethylene glycol—almost 500 times theal-lowed limit of 0.1%. Officials banned Coldrifand twoother coughsyrups, Respifresh TR and ReLife, recalled stock, and shut their manufacturers; Sresan Pharmaceutical owner S. Ranganathan and alocal doctor were arrested onrelated charges. Authorities conducted door-to-door collections and the WHO cautioned that some bottles might still slip into circulation through unregulated channels.