Toxic cough syrup: Pharma firm’s licence cancelled

Enforcement Directorate officials raid 7 locations across Chennai

- BY STEPHEN N.R.

Tamil Nadu’s Drugs Control Department yesterday cancelled the manufacturing licence of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Coldrif cough syrup, after it was linked to the deaths of at least 23 people in Madhya Pradesh and several others in Rajasthan.

The company has been officially shut down following investigations that detected diethylene glycol (DEG) — a highly toxic industrial chemical — in the syrup samples.

Authorities said large-scale inspections are under way across all pharmaceutical manufacturing units in Tamil Nadu to identify potential violations.

Inspectors suspended

Two senior drug inspectors have been suspended for dereliction of duty, while the company’s owner, G. Ranganathan (75), remains in police custody after his arrest on October 9 in Chennai by a Madhya Pradesh SIT.