NEW DELHI: India’s drug regulator said on Thursday that it had inspected a facility that made a cough syrup linked to deaths of 19 children in Uzbekistan and promised more action based on its findings.

A legal representative of Marion Biotech, the Indian maker of the Dok-1 Max syrup, said the company regretted the deaths and has halted its production.

The regulator reviewed the company’s Noida facility in the Uttar Pradesh state and is in regular touch with its Uzbekistan counterpart, the Indian health ministry said in a statement.

“The samples of the cough syrup have been taken from the manufacturing premises and sent to Regional Drugs Testing Laboratory, Chandigarh for testing,” the ministry said.

Uzbekistan’s health ministry has said that at least 18 children in Samarkand city died after consuming the syrup manufactured by the Indian drugmaker. On Thur­sday, Uzbek news site report.uz another death of a one-year-old, citing regional prosecutor’s office.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2022