Pharma company under fire for children’s deaths in Gambia has a controversial track record

Maiden Prescription drugs, which is beneath the lens of regulators after the WHO issued an alert saying the agency’s cough syrups may probably be linked to the demise of kids in The Gambia, has an extended historical past of producing substandard medicine.

The Haryana-based firm got here into focus after greater than 60 kids in The Gambia died from acute kidney accidents, allegedly precipitated from taking “contaminated” medicines manufactured by it.

The Gambia instantly launched an pressing door-to-door marketing campaign to take away cough and chilly syrups.

“WHO has issued a medical product alert for 4 contaminated medicines recognized in The Gambia which were probably linked to acute kidney accidents and 66 deaths amongst kids,” WHO Director-Normal Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated in an announcement issued on Wednesday.

The WHO recognized the merchandise as Promethazine Oral Answer, Kofexmalin Child Cough Syrup, Makoff Child Cough Syrup and Magrip N Chilly Syrup.

Murky
historical past

The pharma firm has been embroiled in controversy for over a decade. In 2011, Bihar authorities blacklisted this firm for supplying sub-standard medicine.

In line with the federal government of India’s Xtended Licensing, Laboratory & Authorized Node (XLN) database, Gujarat and Kerala have reported substandard batches of drugs produced by Maiden a minimum of six occasions previously 9 years.

In 2018, a Indian authorities drug inspector prosecuted the corporate for high quality violations beneath the Medication & Cosmetics Act.

A 12 months earlier than, in 2017, a Judicial First Class Justice of the Peace Courtroom in Kerala fined the corporate Rs 1,000 in a prosecution filed by a Drug Inspector in Kerala in 2005.

It was one in all 39 corporations blacklisted by Vietnam in 2014 for violation of High quality Management Regulation and Drug Laws.

Commenting on the present disaster, one in all Maiden’s administrators issued an announcement saying it was looking for out from its purchaser in Gambia particulars associated to the deaths of kids.

“We’re looking for out the state of affairs as a result of it cropped up solely immediately morning,” Naresh Kumar Goyal advised Reuters. “We’re looking for out with the customer and all that what has occurred precisely. We aren’t promoting something in India.”

Maiden Prescription drugs has its world presence largely in Africa, South America and South East Asia.

As per its web site, the corporate has its company workplace at Pitampura within the Nationwide Capital with two manufacturing models in Haryana — one at Kundli and one other at Panipat. It claims to be a WHO-GMP & ISO 9001-2015 licensed pharmaceutical firm.

The corporate had began operations on November 22, 1990.