An investigation has been launched in India following allegations that a pharmaceutical regulator accepted a bribe to facilitate the switching of cough syrup samples. These syrups were linked by the World Health Organization (WHO) to the deaths of children in Gambia. A lawyer, Yashpal, accused Haryana state drug controller Manmohan Taneja of receiving over $600,000 from Maiden Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of the syrups, to swap the samples before testing by an Indian government lab.
Reuters, who reviewed the complaint letter, could not independently verify the bribe. Taneja and Maiden Pharmaceuticals have not responded to requests for comment. The WHO stated it was unaware of the allegation. Yashpal claims his information comes from sources within the pharmaceutical industry, including one at Maiden, but declined to identify them. He insists on a formal investigation and is awaiting a request for an official affidavit.
The Haryana Anti-Corruption Bureau confirmed the complaint and stated it would be handled by the state's top health official. An inquiry is underway, according to the Additional Chief Secretary, but further details were not provided. The Haryana government, which has promoted the state as a pharmaceutical hub, has not commented on the matter.
Maiden Pharmaceuticals' founder, Naresh Kumar Goyal, previously denied any wrongdoing in the syrup production. He and another executive were sentenced to jail time earlier this year for quality violations in drugs sold to Vietnam years prior. The status of their appeal is unknown.
The WHO linked the Maiden syrups to at least 70 child deaths in Gambia from acute kidney injury. While independent lab tests confirmed the presence of toxic substances (ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol), India's drug regulator claimed its tests found no toxins. The regulator's earlier findings of potential mislabeling of the medicine batches raise questions about the accuracy of their testing, and they haven't clarified how they ensured the correct batch was tested.
Yashpal's complaint, which also includes other corruption allegations against Taneja, has been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, which has not responded. Yashpal is requesting an external investigation to address concerns about India's reputation. Taneja's deputy invited Yashpal to discuss the inquiry, but Yashpal declined due to his distrust. Gambia is considering legal action against India after its own investigation strongly linked the contaminated medicines to the child deaths. The use of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol as cheaper substitutes for propylene glycol in syrupy medicines is a known practice by some manufacturers.
