With several states banning the cough syrup brand ‘Coldrif’, it is almost certain that the pharmaceutical firm that manufactured the drug will face potential legal action. The syrup was manufactured by Chennai-based Srisan Pharmaceuticals, which is now under the scrutiny of drug control officers from Delhi and Chennai.
After the primary investigation revealed the children died of kidney failure after consuming the syrup, the Tamil Nadu authorities froze all stocks at the manufacturer’s Kancheepuram plant.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Following the deaths of children in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh after consuming a cough syrup prescribed by doctors, Madhya Pradesh State Food and Drug Controller Dinesh Kumar Maurya requested the Tamil Nadu State Drug Control Department to inspect… pic.twitter.com/Em6yEGNUMM
— ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2025
Following a request from the Madhya Pradesh government, the Tamil Nadu FDA tested Coldrif syrup from Srisan Pharmaceuticals, which revealed that the Diethylene Glycol (DEG) exceeds permissible limits. Tests have revealed that the DEG levels, which should have been within 1 per cent, was 48.6 per cent in the syrup, which made it highly toxic.
The effect was such that the children’s kidneys failed very quickly, according to reports. The renal biopsies of the children revealed that the damage observed was far beyond normal levels, due to the excessive levels of the harmful substance.
As per Madhya Pradesh, the adulterated samples were the Coldrif’s batch number SR-13 with May 2025 as the manufacturing date and April 2027 as the expiry date. Samples were also collected as part of the inspection from the company’s Kancheevaran unit. The company supplies medicines to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Puducherry.
Sresan Pharmaceuticals has been reportedly asked to halt the production of the syrup. "With effect from October 1, the sale of the cough syrup manufactured by the city-based firm has been prohibited across Tamil Nadu," a Tamil Nadu official said on Friday.
Also read: Cough syrup deaths: More states ban sale of ‘Coldrif’; Telangana issues ‘public alert’
Meanwhile, another company that came under the radar, Kaysons Pharma, has been given a clean chit. Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar on Saturday reiterated that the cough syrup that was alleged to have led to the death of three children in the state was safe and not faulty.
He added that the three children who died in Rajasthan were comorbid and that they were administered the cough syrup by the parents on their own. “We got the medicine checked twice. First, our drug controller tested it, and then the RMSCL (Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited) tested it. Both test reports did not find it faulty," the minister.
Urgent meeting
The Centre is set to hold an urgent meeting at 4.00 pm on Sunday to address the critical issue of contaminated cough syrups. The meeting, which will include Principal Secretaries, Health Secretaries, and Drug Controllers from all States and Union Territories (UTs), will be chaired by the Health Secretary. |
