What is Sresan, the company behind ‘toxic’ Coldrif cough syrup?
The governments of MP, UP and Tamil Nadu have banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup after tests revealed it contained a highly toxic substance.
The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday sent a notice to the pharmaceutical company Sresan, asking why its drug licence should not be cancelled after 14 children in Madhya Pradesh died from consuming a ‘toxic’ cough syrup. The governments of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup after tests revealed it contained a highly poisonous substance.
The Health Ministry has confirmed that Coldrif cough syrup contained diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic chemical commonly used in industrial solvents. Even small amounts of DEG can be deadly.
Last week, the Centre also issued an advisory asking doctors not to prescribe cough and cold syrups to children below two years of age.
What we know about Sresan
The Chennai-based company that makes Coldrif reportedly began as a private firm in 1990 and later operated as a sole proprietorship.
On Indiamart, the ‘Sresan Pharmaceutical Maker’ describes itself as a “trader” of cough syrups, protein powders, pharmaceutical syrups and herbal child growth syrups.
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The website lists the GST partner behind Sresan Pharmaceutical Maker as ‘Ranganathan’.
An investigation by NDTV Profit citing Ministry of Corporate Affairs documents said a private limited company named Sresan Pharmaceuticals existed earlier, with a director named ‘Ranganathan Govindarajan’.
The company was incorporated in 1990, but was later reportedly struck off from the registrar. This usually happens when firms fail to file compliance documents regularly.
The addresses of the private limited company, the one listed on Indiamart and the one printed on the product packaging are different but are all located in the same Chennai neighbourhood, the report said.
Coldrif cough syrup case
Madhya Pradesh police have set up a special investigation team (SIT) to look into the deaths of 14 children, reportedly caused by renal failure linked to the consumption of “toxic” cough syrup.
Meanwhile, Dr Praveen Soni from Chhindwara has been arrested for alleged negligence related to the deaths.
The Tamil Nadu government sent a notice to Sresan asking why its drug licence should not be cancelled.
This came after a “stop production” order was issued to the company on October 3. “As a follow-up action, a memo has been issued asking for an explanation as to why the drug licences of Sresan Pharmaceuticals should not be completely cancelled,” Tamil Nadu Health Minister M Subramanian said.
