WHO issues alert on contaminated cough syrups made in India, urges global vigilance
The affected syrups are specific batches of Coldrif from Sresan Pharmaceutical, Respifresh TR from Rednex Pharmaceuticals, and ReLife from Shape Pharma, according to the WHO's advisory
- Oct 14, 2025,
- Updated Oct 14, 2025 12:02 PM IST
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday issued a global alert over three contaminated cough syrups identified in India, urging countries to immediately report any detection of these medicines. The agency said the products pose “significant risks and can cause severe, potentially life-threatening illness.”
The affected syrups are specific batches of Coldrif from Sresan Pharmaceutical, Respifresh TR from Rednex Pharmaceuticals, and ReLife from Shape Pharma, according to the WHO's advisory.
India’s health regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), informed the WHO that the syrups were consumed by children, all under the age of five, who died in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district. Laboratory analysis revealed that the medicines contained diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical, at levels nearly 500 times the permissible limit.
Officials said the products had not been exported. “None of the contaminated medicines have been exported from India, and there is no evidence of illegal export,” the CDSCO confirmed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also said on Friday that these syrups had not been shipped to the United States.
The WHO has asked all national regulatory authorities and public health departments to stay vigilant and test any suspicious products found in circulation. The health agency noted that diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol — common industrial solvents — are highly toxic to humans and can lead to acute kidney injury, neurological damage, and death, especially in children.
The alert follows a string of similar global warnings over substandard or counterfeit medicines in recent years, underscoring the ongoing need for tighter pharmaceutical oversight and quality control.
(With inputs from Reuters)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday issued a global alert over three contaminated cough syrups identified in India, urging countries to immediately report any detection of these medicines. The agency said the products pose “significant risks and can cause severe, potentially life-threatening illness.”
The affected syrups are specific batches of Coldrif from Sresan Pharmaceutical, Respifresh TR from Rednex Pharmaceuticals, and ReLife from Shape Pharma, according to the WHO's advisory.
India’s health regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), informed the WHO that the syrups were consumed by children, all under the age of five, who died in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district. Laboratory analysis revealed that the medicines contained diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical, at levels nearly 500 times the permissible limit.
Officials said the products had not been exported. “None of the contaminated medicines have been exported from India, and there is no evidence of illegal export,” the CDSCO confirmed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also said on Friday that these syrups had not been shipped to the United States.
The WHO has asked all national regulatory authorities and public health departments to stay vigilant and test any suspicious products found in circulation. The health agency noted that diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol — common industrial solvents — are highly toxic to humans and can lead to acute kidney injury, neurological damage, and death, especially in children.
The alert follows a string of similar global warnings over substandard or counterfeit medicines in recent years, underscoring the ongoing need for tighter pharmaceutical oversight and quality control.
(With inputs from Reuters)