Cough syrup deaths: TN cancels manufacturing licence of Kancheepuram unit
Of the children who died, 11 were from Parasia sub-division, two from Chhindwara city and one from Chaurai tehsil.
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has cancelled the manufacturing licences of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the Kancheepuram-based firm that produced the toxic batch of Coldrif cough syrups linked to the deaths of 14 children in Madhya Pradesh.
Of the children who died, 11 were from Parasia sub-division, two from Chhindwara city and one from Chaurai tehsil. On Sunday, the Parasia police arrested a government doctor for alleged negligence and registered a case against Sresan Pharmaceuticals, officials said.
State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian said the State Drug Control department swung into action on October 1, within hours of receiving an urgent alert from its Madhya Pradesh counterpart in connection with the child fatalities in Chhindwara district. In the letter, they stated that Coldrif syrup (batch no. SR-13, Mfg. May 2025, Exp. April 2027), manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals, could be the cause of the deaths.
A team led by the senior drugs inspector, under the directive of Deputy Director of Drug Control S Gurubharathi, subsequently conducted a detailed inspection of the company premises in Sunguvarchatram. The probe revealed multiple violations under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, and samples of five drugs, including the suspect batch, were seized and sent to the State Drugs Testing Laboratory, Chennai.
Preliminary analysis revealed that Coldrif syrup contained 48.6% diethylene glycol, a toxic industrial chemical known to cause acute kidney failure and death and a statewide ban on its sale and distribution was imposed on October 1 itself, Ma Su said, adding that notices were simultaneously dispatched to Odisha and Puducherry, where the batch had been distributed.
By October 3, a ‘Stop Production’ order was served, and Sresan Pharmaceuticals was sealed, pending a licence cancellation. The health minister said the entire operation, from alert to enforcement, was executed within 48 hours, underscoring the State's zero-tolerance stance on drug safety and public health protection.
