The Rajasthan government has suspended the state drug controller and halted the distribution of medicines manufactured by Jaipur-based company Kaysons Pharma, officials said.
The medical and health department stopped the supply of all 19 medicines manufactured by Kaysons Pharma until further orders, they said.
Distribution of all other cough syrups containing Dextromethorphan has also been suspended.
The government has placed Drug Controller Rajaram Sharma under suspension for allegedly influencing the process of determining drug standards, the department said.
This comes amid reports of deaths of 11 children, nine in Madhya Pradesh and two in Rajasthan, allegedly linked to contaminated cough syrup.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has ordered a detailed probe into the matter along with effective action.
Following his instructions, an expert committee is being constituted to investigate the issue.
Health Minister Gajendra Singh also ordered an inquiry and measures to safeguard public interest, an official statement said.
Principal Secretary in the medical and health department Gayatri Rathore said the Union government issued an advisory in 2021 against administering Dextromethorphan to children below four years.
The state has reiterated the advisory while the Drug Controller General of India on Friday advised that the syrup should normally be given only to children above five years, and in no circumstances to those under two years of age.
Officials added that drugs which are potentially harmful to children and pregnant women will now carry clear warning labels.
According to Pukhraj Sen, managing director, rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Ltd, over 10,000 samples of Kaysons Pharma drugs have been tested since 2012, of which 42 failed the quality standards.
As a precaution, the supply of all 19 medicines manufactured by the company has been suspended.
TN bans 'Coldrif' cough syrup after deaths in MP, Raj
The Tamil Nadu government has banned the sale of cough syrup 'Coldrif' and ordered its removal from the market following suspicions linking it to the death of 11 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
With effect from October 1, the sale of the cough syrup manufactured by the city-based firm, has been prohibited across Tamil Nadu, an official of the food safety and drug administration department said.
Inspections were conducted at the pharmaceutical company's manufacturing facility in Sunguvarchathram in neighbouring Kancheepuram district during the last two days and samples have been collected, he said.
The company, he said, supplies the medicines to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry.
The samples would be sent to the government run laboratories to test for the presence of the chemical 'Diethylene Glycol', he told PTI.
Taking cognisance of the infant deaths, the Union health ministry on Friday issued an advisory to all States and Union Territories, directing that cough and cold medications should not be prescribed to children under the age of 2 years.
The advisory, issued by the Directorate General of Health Services, comes amid reports of child deaths allegedly linked to contaminated cough syrups in Madhya Pradesh and similar reported incidents in Rajasthan.
The food safety official said, "The department has been asked to prevent the sale of the syrup and freeze the stocks from October 1."
The samples collected from the facility would be also be tested by the Union government.
Responding to a query, he said, the syrup has been supplied to Puducherry, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh by the company.
According to the Drug department, the company has been ordered to halt production of the syrup at the facility till the reports from the laboratories are out.
"We expect the report to be released in the coming days," he said.
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