Pakistan confiscates toxic solvent found in cough syrup
Published on: January 13, 2024.
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Pakistan Seizes Contaminated Solvent, Linking it to Dow Chemical Thailand
Pakistan’s drug regulatory authority has seized a batch of contaminated propylene glycol solvent that was falsely labelled as manufactured by Dow Chemical, Thailand, according to a statement released on Thursday (Jan 11). Dow Chemical, Thailand has not yet commented on the issue.
This action comes after authorities have identified toxic propylene glycol, used in cough syrups, as a potential cause for the deaths of over 300 children in Indonesia, Gambia, and Uzbekistan since 2022. The World Health Organization has connected these deaths, which occurred outside of Indonesia, to cough syrups made in India.
Pakistan’s drug authority has taken possession of the contaminated batch of propylene glycol and is currently investigating the entire supply chain associated with it. They have also ordered a recall of any products manufactured from the same batch, both within local and export markets.
Analysis of a sample by the Central Drug Laboratory in Karachi revealed an unacceptable level of Ethylene Glycol, which can lead to severe health risks. Ingesting Ethylene Glycol can have detrimental effects on the central nervous system, heart, and kidneys, and in some cases, it can be fatal.
It is currently unclear whether any amount of the imported chemical was used in local cough syrup production. Nevertheless, the drug authority has instructed that finished products manufactured from any other batch of propylene glycol from Dow Chemical Thailand be put on hold.
Source: [AsiaOne](https://www.asiaone.com)
