ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Autho­rity of Pakistan (Drap) has directed pharmaceutical companies to recall nine syrups contaminated with a poisonous solvent, the authority’s CEO told local media on Tuesday.

The move comes as authorities have identified toxic propylene glycol used in cough syrups as a possible reason for the deaths of more than 300 children in Indonesia, Gambia and Uzbekistan since 2022. The World Health Organization has linked the deaths outside Indonesia to cough syrups made in India.

PG is a toxic material widely used in liquid detergents, antifreeze, paints or coatings, and to enhance the effectiveness of pesticides.

“In the past two months, the regulator has found at least seven pharmaceutical companies involved in producing syrups with high proportions of Propylene Glycol, a prohibited substance,” Dawn reported. 

“Drap CEO Dr. Asim Rauf said nine more syrups, manufactured by five pharma companies, were found contaminated, taking the number of companies involved in producing contaminated syrups to seven.”

On Jan. 11, DRAP said Pakistan had seized a batch of contaminated propylene glycol solvent that was labelled as manufactured by Dow Chemical, Thailand.

“The Regulatory field force has taken possession of a contaminated batch of Propylene Glycol and is investigating the entire supply chain of this batch,” Pakistan’s drug authority said in the alert issued earlier this month, ordering the recall from local and export markets of any products manufactured from the same batch of propylene glycol.

“The batch was labelled as manufactured by Dow Chemical, Thailand,” it said.

“On analysis of a sample by the Central Drug Laboratory in Karachi, an unacceptable level of Ethylene Glycol was found,” which can lead to serious health risks, the drug authority said.