Explainer: Why Maharashtra has banned Coldrif cough syrup
Maharashtra has just banned a batch of Coldrif cough syrup after several children died in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The trouble started with batch SR 13, made by Sresan Pharma in May 2025 (set to expire April 2027), which was quickly pulled from shelves once the link was discovered.
Batch SR 13 had over 48% diethylene glycol
Lab tests revealed this batch contained a shocking 48.6% diethylene glycol—a toxic industrial chemical that should never be in medicine.
This led to urgent recalls and bans, especially after multiple child deaths—at least nine, with some reports citing up to 14—were connected to the syrup in Madhya Pradesh.
Health authorities launch nationwide crackdown on contaminated medicines
In response, health authorities across India have launched a nationwide crackdown on contaminated medicines and are investigating how such a dangerous product slipped through.
The goal: prevent more tragedies and make sure drug safety rules actually work.