Cough syrups made in India for export will be checked in government labs

New Delhi [India], May 23 (ANI): The government has notified new testing parameters for cough syrups to be exported from India and said these will require the production of a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) from specified laboratories.

The changes in the export of syrups will be effective from June 1.

“Cough Syrup shall be permitted to be exported subject to the export sample being tested and with the production of Certificate of Analysis (CA) issued by any of the laboratories like Indian Pharmacopoeia Ghaziabad; Uttar Pradesh Commission; CDL, Kolkata, West Bengal; CDTL, Chennai, Tamil Nadu; CDTL, Mumbai, Maharashtra; CDTL, Hyderabad, Telangana; RDTL, Chandigarh RDTL; Guwahati, Assam; any NABL-accredited state drugs testing laboratory,” a notification of Commerce and Industry Ministry said on Monday.

There were reports linking the deaths of some children in Gambia and Uzbekistan to syrups made in India. The Health Ministry had ordered a probe in the wake of the allegations and the production licence of the concerned pharma firms were suspended.

Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) had also sent a proposal to the Union Health Ministry following the allegations.

The statistics configured by the Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) state that the domestic pharmaceutical market stood at USD 42 billion in 2021 and is likely to reach USD 65 billion by 2024 and further expand to reach USD 120-130 billion by 2030.

In the face of this exponential growth, India is expected to take lead as a dependable provider of premium medicines to the world. The Indian pharmaceutical market is fractionated into different therapeutic segments of anti-infectives, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, anti-diabetic, respiratory, dermatological, musculo-skeletal system, nervous system, and others.

It can also be bifurcated based on the drug type (prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs).