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Three Marion Biotech Employees Arrested in India Over Toxic Cough Syrup Scandal

The Indian police have arrested three employees of Marion Biotech Pvt Ltd, a pharmaceutical firm based near New Delhi, in connection with the deaths of 19 children in Uzbekistan. Here are the key points from the news article:

Indian government laboratory tests found that 22 drug samples from Marion Biotech were "adulterated and spurious."

The arrests included Marion's head of operations and two chemists. The arrests were made based on a complaint received by an inspector of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

Uzbekistan had reported that 19 children died after consuming Marion's cough syrups in December, leading India to suspend Marion's production.

An analysis by Uzbekistan's health ministry revealed that the cough syrups, Ambronol and DOK-1 Max, contained the toxin ethylene glycol. These syrups were administered in doses higher than the standard for children, either by parents who mistook them for an anti-cold remedy or on the advice of pharmacists.

The same toxin, ethylene glycol, was also found in cough syrups exported to Gambia by another Indian company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals. Production at Maiden Pharmaceuticals was suspended in India in October due to violations of manufacturing standards after concerns were raised about their cough syrups potentially causing deaths in Gambia.

Marion denied responsibility for the deaths in Uzbekistan. In contrast, an Indian government laboratory found no toxins in Maiden Pharmaceuticals' cough syrups.

Two executives from Maiden Pharmaceuticals were sentenced to two and a half years in jail in India for exporting substandard drugs to Vietnam in a separate case.

These incidents have negatively impacted the reputation of India's $41 billion pharmaceutical industry, often referred to as the "pharmacy of the world."

It's important to note that this information is based on the provided news article, and the situation may have developed further since then.

Source: Reuters

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