Indian drugmaker linked to deadly cough syrup found in Cameroon

Indian drug maker Riemann Labs has been reported as the manufacturer of the deadly cough syrup Naturcold responsible for the death of children in Cameroon.

A senior state drug regulatory official, Sudam Khade, told Reuters the government informed parliament on Tuesday that Riemann was directed to stop manufacturing after inspections by federal and state regulators.

Regulatory authorities have intensified their scrutiny of drug makers in the country following reports of cough syrups manufactured in India being linked to child fatalities overseas.

Regulators discovered manufacturing and laboratory standard violations after it conducted an inspection at the company’s production unit in Madhya Pradesh state according to Khade who is the state drugs controller.

“Some violations in good manufacturing practices and good lab practices were found,” Khade said.

However, specific details regarding the violations were not disclosed.

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Riemann Labs has become the fourth Indian cough syrup manufacturer to halt production due to regulatory lapses.

As part of their investigation, samples of all the products manufactured by Riemann Labs have been sent for testing. The authorities plan to take further action based on the results of these tests.

According to a government health official, the cough syrup produced by Riemann Labs has been linked to the tragic deaths of children in Cameroon.

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Last month, Pluboard reported a World Health Organization (WHO) global alert after a batch of the cough and cold syrup under the brand name Naturcold sold in Cameroon was found to contain extremely high levels of a toxic ingredient.

At the time of the report the origin of the drug was not known although the packaging label on the syrup indicated that it was manufactured by a company called Fraken International (England).

The UK health regulator said no such company exists in the country, therefore raising concerns about the authenticity of the product’s origin.

While authorities in Cameroon confirmed the deaths of at least six children in connection with the cough syrup, there were reports of a higher toll, reaching up to 12 children.

Riemann Labs has not responded to the findings.