Most of the victims, all under the age of five, reportedly died from kidney failure after consuming Coldrif Syrup, which was found to contain diethylene glycol.
Published Oct 07, 2025 | 10:27 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 07, 2025 | 10:27 AM
coughsyrup/Creative Commons
Synopsis: Indian authorities launched a manslaughter investigation into the deaths of at least 14 children linked to a toxic cough syrup. A police complaint was filed, naming Sresan Pharma, the manufacturer of Coldrif Syrup, as a primary accused.
Indian authorities launched a manslaughter investigation into the deaths of at least 14 children linked to a toxic cough syrup, marking yet another blow to the reputation of the country’s pharmaceutical industry.
Most of the victims, all under the age of five, reportedly died from kidney failure after consuming Coldrif Syrup, which was found to contain diethylene glycol (DEG), a highly toxic chemical, at levels nearly 500 times above the permissible limit.
Police in Madhya Pradesh, where the deaths occurred, said that all the affected children had shown early symptoms of a cold or fever before being given the syrup.
Shortly after consumption, the children developed urine retention and acute kidney disorders, consistent with DEG poisoning.
A police complaint filed on Sunday, 5 October, named Sresan Pharma, the manufacturer of Coldrif Syrup, as a primary accused, and also led to the arrest of a local doctor who had prescribed the medicine to several of the children.
The federal health authorities have since recommended cancelling Sresan Pharma’s manufacturing licence, and several state governments have banned the sale of the syrup. Officials said the product was sold only within India, and not exported.
Laboratory reports from Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu confirmed the presence of DEG in alarming concentrations: 46 percent in the Madhya Pradesh report and 48.6 percent in the Tamil Nadu report. The permissible limit for DEG is just 0.1 percent.
The contaminated Coldrif syrup (Batch No SR-13, manufactured in May 2025 with expiry in April 2027) was manufactured by Sresan Pharma in Sunguvarchathiram, Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu. It was distributed to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry and Odisha. Rajasthan also reported deaths linked to Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide Syrup manufactured by Jaipur-based Kaysons Pharma.
Following these incidents, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued a nationwide advisory on 3 October, stating that “cough and cold medications should not be prescribed or dispensed to children under two years” and are “generally not recommended for ages below five years.”
Sresan Pharma has not yet responded to media inquiries about the case.
(With inputs from Veni EN.)
