Noida offices of pharma company linked with Uzbekistan cough syrup deaths inspected by law enforcement

Following suspicions that an Uttar Pradesh pharmaceutical company was responsible for 18 deaths in Uzbekistan, local drug enforcement agents have launched an investigation into the claim.

A team of central agencies and local law enforcement carried out an inspection at the Noida office of the firm.

Officials say that the company, Marion Biotech, only exports the cough syrup - 'Doc-1 Max' - to Uzbekistan and does not sell the syrup in India.


On Thursday morning, an inspection of Marion Biotech's office in Noida Sector 67 began, Gautam Buddh Nagar Drug Inspector Vaibhav Babbar told PTI.

The probe has been launched by the The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) after the Uzbek Health Ministry claimed that the 18 children had consumed the cough syrup.

"To date, 18 out of 21 children with acute respiratory disease have died as a result of taking Doc-1 Max syrup manufactured by the Indian company Marion Biotech Pvt Ltd," the Uzbekistan Health Ministry said in a statement.

"It was found that the deceased children, before admission to hospital treatment, took this drug at home for 2-7 days 3-4 times a day, 2.5-5 ml, which exceeds the standard dose of the drug for children," it added.

Hasan Harris, legal representative of Marion Biotech, said the governments of both countries are looking into the matter and inquiring.

"There is no problem from our end and no issue in testing. We have been there for the past ten years. Once the government report will come, we will look into it. For now the manufacturing has stopped," Harris said.

With inputs from PTI