DRAP orders urgent recall of poisonous syrups

Islamabad: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has issued a directive for the immediate recall of nine syrups deemed ‘poisonous’ due to contamination.

According to the details, DRAP has identified seven pharmaceutical companies attached in production of syrups containing elevated levels of Propylene Glycol (PG), a substance strictly prohibited by the government. 

Drug administration exposed that an additional nine syrups from five different pharmaceutical companies were found to be contaminated, bringing the total number of implicated companies to seven.

The affected syrups include Raazee Therapeutics, Siza International, Allerphene, Zevirol, Texcol DM, Texcol EX, Virol, Torax DM, Bronyl, and Speczine etc. A recent batch imported from a Thailand-based company was seized by the regulator after detecting impurities. 

The acceptable impurity level in excipient, commonly used in cough syrups, is 1.1 percent. However, the batch from Thailand’s Dow Chemical exhibited an alarming impurity level of 25 per cent, posing the risk of multiple organs failure.

DRAP warned that upon ingestion impurities, also known as ethylene glycol (EG), transform into toxins impacting the central nervous system and heart, potentially causing fatal kidney damage.

The South Asian nation asserted that substances found in the syrups were typically used in hydraulic brake fluids, stamp pad inks, paints, plastics, and cosmetics. In response, the World Health Organization issued an alert regarding the products of Lahore-based pharmaceutical company Pharmix Laboratories.