India searches premises of cough syrup maker linked to child deaths, source says

Reuters ^ | 10/13/2025 | Nikunj Ohr

[marcusmaximus]

India's financial crime-fighting agency is searching seven sites on suspicion of money-laundering by Sresan Pharma, the cough syrup maker linked to the deaths of several children over the last month, a source told Reuters on Monday.

At least 19 children died in the central state of Madhya Pradesh after taking the syrup, banned after a test this month showed it contained levels of a toxic chemical, diethylene glycol, that were nearly 500 times the permissible limit.

The searches in Chennai, capital of the southern state of Tamil Nadu, relate to accusations of money laundering, and include the homes of top officials of the state's drug control office, the source added.

The source sought anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media.

Telephone calls to seek comment from company owner G. Ranganathan, who was arrested last week, went unanswered.

India, known as the 'pharmacy of the world', supplies 40% of generic medicines used in the United States, and more than 90% of all medicines in many African nations.

[noiseman]

I take a beta blocker for blood pressure, and since it’s generic it comes from India. I’ve noticed that the specific Indian manufacturer that the pharmacy sources it from changes every now and then, and I’ve also noticed that its effectiveness varies significantly depending upon the company making it. I also experienced wildly-varying effectiveness from one particular company, Sun Pharmaceuticals. Their version sometimes seemed to barely work at all, and its effects were erratic. While my doctor gave me the predictable “all generics are the same” spiel, I explained that they definitely were not, and he eventually agreed to enter a note for the pharmacy to only source them from Mylan, which was the company that I had the best results with.

This notion that all generics are identical is so obviously foolish given not only patient feedback, but also the many scandals that have occurred in India over tampering with drug formulations and even introducing dangerous substances to cut costs. We must get all drug manufacturing returned to the U.S., because right now it’s a risky gamble as to what you’re actually getting from these third-world drug manufacturers.

[kiryandil]

[deport]

right now it’s a risky gamble as to what you’re actually
getting from these third-world drug manufacturers.

***************

It applies to other items imo. Rules, regs, etc vary and you
get what they can get by with in the production phase. jmo