Chennai: In the wake of the recent deaths of some children in Madhaya Pradesh and Rajasthan following consumption of contaminated cough syrup, manufactured near Chennai, the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department has halted the production of Coldrif syrup. The syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer in Kanchipuram, has been found to contain Diethylene Glycol (DEG), a toxic chemical that can cause severe kidney damage and other health issues. The action followed a complaint from the Madhya Pradesh Drugs Control Authority received on October 1.
“This is the first instance in the country where the entire investigation including inspection, sampling, analysis of alleged drug and also issue of stop production order to the manufacturing premises was completed within two days from the receipt of information,” S Gurubharathi, Deputy Director of Drugs Control and Licensing cum Controlling Authority, Tamil Nadu said on Friday.
“Upon inspection, the department discovered several violations of the Drugs Rules, 1945, particularly relating to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP). It was found that the batch of Coldrif Syrup in question was produced using non-pharmacopoeial grade Propylene Glycol, which may have been contaminated with DEG and Ethylene Glycol—both of which are known to be toxic and harmful to human health,” she said.
The authorities seized all stocks of Coldrif Syrup (Batch No. SR-13) from the manufacturing facility in Kancheepuram. Additionally, samples of other syrups from the same manufacturer, including Respolite D, Respolite GL, Respolite ST, and Hepsandin Syrups, were also sent for testing. Stocks of these products were frozen to prevent further distribution.
The Tamil Nadu Drugs Testing Laboratory conducted urgent tests, even over the public holidays, and confirmed the presence of DEG in the Coldrif Syrup. The batch was found to contain 48.6% DEG, which is dangerously high and poses a significant risk to public health. Ethylene Glycol was not detected in the syrup, but the presence of DEG led to the immediate issuance of a Stop Production Order against the manufacturer on October 3rd, 2025.
To prevent further distribution, the Drugs Control Department has issued a statewide alert to freeze all remaining stocks of Coldrif Syrup at both retail and wholesale levels. The department has also informed authorities in Odisha and Puducherry, based on information about interstate distribution from the manufacturer.
