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After the deaths of at least 20 children in Madhya Pradesh linked to its toxic cough syrup Coldrif, Tamil Nadu has permanently shut down Sresan Pharmaceuticals and cancelled its licence, citing “gross violations” of drug safety norms.
An inspection of the company’s Kancheepuram facility had revealed that Coldrif syrup contained 48.6% diethylene glycol (DEG) — a deadly industrial solvent used in antifreeze — instead of approved pharmaceutical ingredients. The substance is known to cause kidney failure and death even in small doses.
In a statement, the Tamil Nadu government said, "The drug manufacturing licence of Sresan Pharmaceuticals has been completely cancelled, and the company has been shut down.” It added that a state-wide inspection of all drug manufacturing units would be launched to ensure compliance with safety and quality standards.
Officials said the Health Department would also tighten monitoring mechanisms and impose stricter penalties on pharmaceutical firms violating public health norms.
According to investigators, Sresan Pharmaceuticals had violated over 300 critical and major norms, including the absence of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP). The company allegedly used non-pharma-grade solvents, ignored mandatory testing procedures, and falsified production logs.
Sresan Pharmaceuticals’ owner, G Ranganathan, was arrested last week by a special investigation team from Madhya Pradesh probing the child deaths. His arrest followed multiple raids and evidence-gathering operations across Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.
On October 13, Monday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted simultaneous searches at seven locations in Chennai — including Sresan’s headquarters and the homes of senior officials from the Tamil Nadu Drug Control Office — as part of an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The searches aimed to trace possible financial irregularities and diversion of funds linked to the company’s operations.
The tragedy has reignited calls for nationwide reform in drug regulation and oversight, as public health experts urge stronger inter-state coordination to prevent recurrence of such preventable deaths.
With IANS inputs