Marion Biotech: The Noida-based pharma company at the centre of the Uzbekistan cough syrup tragedy

Over the past two-and-a-half years, the Indian cough syrup market has been in the spotlight, but not always for good reasons. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic with the common-after-effect of dry cough, cough syrup sales have jumped in all countries. However, the recent deaths in various countries linked to India-made cough syrups have raised questions about the nation’s pharma regulatory bodies. A similar case has come to light in Uzbekistan just a few months after the Gambia incident where nearly 70 children died after consuming India-made cough syrup. The Uzbekistan government has stated that 18 children died in the capital city of Samarkand drank cough syrup ‘Dok-1 Max’, manufactured by Noida-based drug maker Marion Biotech. The health ministry said that 18 children with acute respiratory disease have lost their lives due to excessive doses of Dok-1 Max cough syrup. It added that preliminary tests showed a batch of the medicine contained ethylene glycol , a toxic substance that ought not to be present in cough syrup. Also read: How cough syrups can lead to deaths Marion Biotech — the company behind Dok-1 Max Marion Biotech is a licensed pharmaceutical company based in Noida. According to the Registrar of Companies, the company was incorporated on 21 May 1999. As per the Ministry of Corporate Affairs website, the current directors of the company are Sachin and Jaya Jain. As per company research platform Tofler, the duo are reportedly serving as directors in 23 companies. The company produces over 100 healthcare products and a few OTC (over-the-counter), prescription and herbal drugs that are predominantly used to treat pain, fever, and cold. Marion Biotech manufactures products for the Indian market and exports to other countries, including Russia and former Soviet Republics, South East Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The company’s website indicates that it has a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificate from the World Health Organization. The company’s website suggests that Dok-1 Max syrup is a combination of three medical ingredients — Paracetamol, Guaifenesin, and Phenylephrine Hydrochloride — that reduce symptoms of cough, fever, cold and other infectious upper respiratory tract disease. Indian government initiates probe According to news agency PTI, the Indian health ministry has initiated a probe into the matter of the 18 deaths of the Uzbek children. Issuing a statement, the ministry said its officials have been “in regular contact with the national drug regulator of Uzbekistan regarding the matter” since 27 December. The ministry added, “The samples of the cough syrup have been taken from the manufacturing premises and sent to the Regional Drugs Testing Laboratory in Chandigarh for testing.” The inspection was carried out at the Noida Sector 67 office of the pharmaceutical firm by a team of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and the Uttar Pradesh drug department. Marion Biotech has also halted the production of the cough syrup which is under the scanner. Hasan Harris, legal representative of Marion Biotech told the news agency that they regret the deaths. “The governments of both countries are looking into the matter and that the firm would take action accordingly,” he said. Harris added, “There is no problem from our end and no issue in testing. We have been there for the past 10 years. Once the government report will come, we will look into it. For now, the manufacturing has stopped.” According to the news agency, a state government official said that Marion Biotech does not sell cough syrup, ‘Dok-1 Max’ in India and its only export has been to Uzbekistan. The syrup was imported into Uzbekistan by Quramax Medical LLC, the ministry said in its statement released on Tuesday. Similar incidents in past Earlier, Haryana-based Maiden Pharma faced similar allegations when 70 children died of acute kidney injury in The Gambia, which was linked with four cough syrups that were manufactured by the company. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) , laboratory analysis of the syrups “confirmed that they contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants.” The Indian government had halted all production at the company until 15 December when they informed the Parliament that the control samples of the four syrups linked to the deaths in The Gambia were found to be of standard quality . Notably, after the incident, the WHO issued a warning by saying that diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans and can be fatal if consumed. The toxic effects of the two chemicals were also listed in the agency’s alert as pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury, which could lead to death, reported News18. In February 2020, 12 infants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur lost their lives after consuming Coldbest-PC cough syrup made by Kala Amb-based Digital Vision pharmaceutical company. During an inspection, an adulterant DEG was reportedly found in its samples. As per a report by The Tribune, soon after the incident, two batches of the syrup were declared substandard by the Central Drug Laboratory in Kolkata in a drug alert by CDSCO. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. 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