30 Pharma Firms Under MPFDA, CDSCO Scanner in Madhya Pradesh
Investigation
Indore: After the tragic deaths of several children allegedly linked to contaminated cough syrups in Chhindwara and Betul, Madhya Pradesh's pharmaceutical industry has come under intense scrutiny. The Madhya Pradesh Food and Drug Administration (MPFDA) has placed 30 drug manufacturing companies under investigation, launching a sweeping crackdown in collaboration with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to ensure drug safety and compliance.
According to officials, the move comes as part of a larger state-wide quality enforcement drive aimed at tightening checks on oral liquid formulations, syrups, and suspensions—categories most often associated with recent toxic outbreaks. The MPFDA has already written to the CDSCO seeking joint inspections of all identified facilities to ensure “complete transparency and accountability.”
“We have written a letter requesting joint inspections of 30 units in Madhya Pradesh,” Dinesh Shrivastava, Controller of the MP Food and Drug Administration was quoted as saying by OCAcademy. He added that these inspections would assess compliance with safety, testing, and manufacturing standards to eliminate the risk of substandard or adulterated products reaching the market.
The regulator has also urged the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to make Diethylene Glycol (DEG) and Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) testing mandatory for all oral liquid preparations manufactured across India. Both solvents, when contaminated, have been linked to multiple poisoning incidents globally—including fatal cases in India—highlighting the urgent need for robust quality control mechanisms.
In the ongoing investigation, the MPFDA has collected 243 samples of cough syrups and oral formulations statewide, with laboratory testing currently in progress. Preliminary results have already declared three products—Coldrif, Respifresh TR, and Re Life—as substandard. Authorities have seized and frozen 1,086 bottles of these formulations to prevent their further distribution and sale, reports The Times of India.
The crackdown comes amid renewed global attention on India’s pharmaceutical manufacturing practices following recent contamination-linked child deaths.
