Davis pharma’s cough syrup declared unsafe by DRAP.

Once the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) closed off its syrup manufacturing department, a local pharmaceutical company found itself in hot trouble.

The change occurred as a result of the Gambia’s Medicines Control Agency (MCA) reporting that dangerous substances had been found in a cough syrup made by the company.

Exported cough medication in issue had dangerously high quantities of either ethylene glycol (EG) or diethylene glycol (DEG) (EG). These harmful substances can instantly kill you by causing renal failure.

Also Read: Investigation into 18 children’s deaths in Uzbekistan from cough syrup made in Noida.

In response to the warning from MCA Gambia, DRAP officials moved quickly, issuing a recall alert and ordering Davis Pharmaceutical Laboratories, a manufacturer with its headquarters in Islamabad, as well as all drug inspectors and officials, to seize all suspect products made by the company in the nation.

Luckily, no items from the company have been discovered in local pharmacies. The 2021 batch of cough syrup that contained the dangerous ingredients was produced only for export and not for domestic consumption.

The company’s syrup samples have been forwarded to the Drug Testing Lab (DTL) of DRAP for chemical examination.

Additionally, DRAP has been instructed to take strict action against the firm, including revoking its production licence and detaining its owners if it is determined that they were complicit in criminal negligence.

This tragedy follows news of hundreds of kids passing away in Gambia and Indonesia over the previous six to eight months as a result of ingesting Indian syrup that included components associated to acute kidney damage (AKI). It serves as a clear warning that the pharmaceutical sector needs to be vigilant and implement strict quality control procedures.