The government of Tamil Nadu has issued a notice to Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the producer of the cough syrup Coldrif, banning sales of the cough syrup after tests conducted confirmed that the cough syrup contained toxic chemicals.

Officials said that the drug control department collected samples from Batch-13 of Coldrif, shortly after an incident on October 1, in which the syrup was found with substances that can damage nerve tissues.

Tests confirmed that it contained 48% Diethylene Glycol (DEG) and Ethylene Glycol (EG), which are both solvents that can be very toxic to human beings and can cause serious health issues.

Officials said the contamination possibly came from not testing the quality of propylene glycol, which was the solvent used in the creation of the Cough syrup. DEG and EG are by-products from propylene glycol, and if it is not prepared correctly, or not tested, there is

Sresan Pharmaceuticals, a supplier of medicines to state governments and private procurement agencies, has now been instructed to cease production and distribution of the product. The manufacturing unit has also been sealed, and officials have confirmed that Coldrif bottles have been removed from shelves across Tamil Nadu.

A senior Drug Control official stated that the company had been asked to reply to the show-cause notice regarding lapses observed in its quality assurance process and issues that allowed contamination to occur.

Investigations are being proceeded to determine how toxic compounds ended up being included in the production line of this medicine.