Cough syrup deaths: CDSCO seeks list of all manufacturers from state governments, initiates joint audit

Central Medicine Commonplace Management Organisation (CDSCO) has requested all State governments to submit an inventory of cough syrup producers whereas initiating a joint audit of those corporations, mentioned a senior Well being Ministry official on Thursday (October 9, 2025) following the deaths of over 20 kids allegedly because of contaminated cough syrup up to now month. 

CDSCO has also informed the World Health Organisation (WHO) that it has recognized three contaminated cough syrups – Coldrif, Respifresh and ReLife —linked to the latest youngster deaths in India— as containing Diethylene Glycol (DEG). It said that not one of the merchandise had been exported from India.

It added that the merchandise have been recalled and recognized producers have been ordered to cease manufacturing of all medical merchandise.

The WHO had contacted the CDSCO on October 1, in search of clarification relating to potential hyperlinks to contaminated medicines and whether or not the merchandise had been exported to different nations.

The United Nations well being company famous that the CDSCO had recognized the three merchandise as Coldrif from Sresan Pharma (Tamil Nadu) exhibiting 48.6 % DEG; Respifresh TR from Rednex Prescription drugs (Gujarat) that confirmed 1.342% DEG and ReLife from Form Pharma (Gujarat) exhibiting 0.616%.

The signs described had been constant “with acute renal failure and acute encephalitis syndrome, with suspected hyperlinks to using oral syrup medicines,” it added.

WHO added that it’s “able to assist nationwide authorities in investigating and responding to those tragic occasions,” including that it hasn’t obtained any official info as to the supply of the DEG contamination or if contaminated pharmaceutical materials has been recognized. 

It additionally flagged the “regulatory hole in DEG/EG screening for domestically marketed medicines in India”, stressing the necessity to determine “the supply of the contamination and figuring out and eradicating any contaminated pharmaceutical materials which can be in circulation.”

In the meantime a Well being Ministry official mentioned that Coldrif from Sresan Pharma (Tamil Nadu) wasn’t in the radar of the Central Authorities when it was first given license in 2011 and even when this was renewed in 2016. 

“The CDSCO has now advisable cancellation of the manufacturing license for the corporate. If the uncooked materials and the completed product had been examined, we might have averted the state of affairs,’’ added the official.

He additional defined that deaths of kids in Rajasthan had no reference to contaminated cough syrup. “Baby deaths in Rajasthan have been beneath scrutiny and have been medically attributed to meningitis, mucositis, and acute respiratory misery syndrome (ARDS),’’ mentioned the official.