COUGH SYRUP DEATHS: INDONESIA FINDS LOCAL TRADER GUILTY OF FORGING INGREDIENT LABEL

Mon 30 January 2023:

Indonesian authorities have said two ingredients, ethylene glycol (EG) and diethyelene glycol (DEG), found in some syrup-based paracetamol medications are linked to acute kidney injury, which many of the children suffered, may have caused deaths of more than 200 children across the country, Reuters reported.

The two ingredients are used in antifreeze, brake fluids and other industrial applications, but also as a cheaper alternative in some pharmaceutical products to glycerine, which is a solvent or thickening agent in many cough syrups. They can be toxic and can lead to acute kidney injury.

COUGH SYRUP DEATHS: INDIA SUSPENDS LICENCE OF PHARMA COMPANY LINKED TO DEATHS OF18 CHILDREN IN UZBEKISTAN

Pipit Rismanto, a senior police official, told reporters authorities have found that CV Samudera Chemical sold “industrial-grade” EG and DEG as pharmaceutical-grade propylene glycol manufactured by Dow Chemical Thailand and supplied them to distributors of local drug-makers.

Police have arrested and charged officials at Samudera and its distributor CV Anugrah Perdana Gemilang. More suspects may be named as the investigation continues, Pipit said.

INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT BANS COUGH SYRUP MATERIALS LINKED TO THE DEATH OF GAMBIA CHILDREN

After 300 deaths in the Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Indonesia were attributed to cough syrups last year, the World Health Organization this week called for “urgent and concerted action” to safeguard kids from toxic medications.

As a court this month began hearing their class-action complaint against governmental organizations and pharmaceutical companies, twenty-five Indonesian families of some of the children wanted compensation.

According to Indonesia’s pharmaceuticals authority (BPOM), a number of parties “exploited a gap in the safety guarantee system” and pharmaceutical businesses did not thoroughly inspect the raw components they utilized, causing the number of cases to skyrocket.