



States crack down on Almont-Kid syrup after lab finds deadly ethylene glycol
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: State drug regulators in India have launched a massive crackdown and issued urgent public health alerts to stop the use of paediatric cough syrup Almont-Kid after samples from a specific batch were found to contain life-threatening contaminants, according to three government officials and documents reviewed by Mint.
The syrup containing levocetirizine dihydrochloride and montelukast sodium has been declared “Not of Standard Quality" (NSQ) by the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL), Kolkata, after tests detected life-threatening contaminants, including toxic ethylene glycol at levels nearly fifteen times the permissible safety limit. The cough syrup, manufactured by Tridus Remedies based in Bihar's Vaishali district, is prescribed for children to treat symptoms of congestion, runny nose, sneezing, itching and watery eyes.
Late last year, 24 children died in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after consuming cough syrup Coldrif, which was contaminated with toxic industrial solvents including diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG). States including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are pulling out all stops to prevent the sale and usage of Almont-Kid.
Haryana’s State Drugs Controller-cum-Controlling Authority has instructed officers to maintain a strict vigil, seize remaining stocks of the medicine's AL-24002 batch, and draw further samples. “As the above-mentioned cough syrup formulations containing ethylene glycol (EG) above the permissible limits, the sale or distribution of these batches is strictly prohibited with immediate effect.
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