Indonesia revokes licences of drug firms over syrups linked to child deaths / Photo: CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN - AFP/File
-
German 'green village' rides out Mideast energy storm
-
US in the spotlight at WTO meet
-
Cyclone triggers outages at major Australian LNG plants
-
US judge suspends govt sanctions on AI company Anthropic
-
US currency to bear Trump's signature, Treasury says
-
Bolivia beat Suriname 2-1 to advance in World Cup playoffs
-
Ukraine destroys Russian terror-oil exports
-
Mets hammer Pirates on historic day of MLB openers
-
Italy stay in World Cup hunt as Wales, Ireland suffer penalty heartbreak
-
Italy need to climb "Everest" in World Cup play-of final: Gattuso
-
Czechs fight back to beat Ireland in World Cup play-off
-
Wales' World Cup dream ended by Bosnia and Herzegovina
-
Mbappe on target as France shrug off red card to beat Brazil
-
Italy beat Northern Ireland to keep World Cup hopes alive
-
Mexico blames oil slick on illegal dumping
-
Gyokeres treble sends Sweden past Ukraine in World Cup play-offs
-
OpenAI shelves plans for erotic chatbot
-
Klopp hails Salah as one of Liverpool's 'all-time greats'
-
Sinner and Gauff advance with ease at Miami Open
-
Trump pushes back Iran strikes deadline
-
South Africa disinvited from G7 in France
-
Oil climbs, stocks slide as Iran war uncertainty reigns
-
Alexander-Arnold must accept 'unfair' England snub, says Tuchel
-
Ko fires 60 to grab early lead at LPGA Ford Championship
-
Arctic sea ice at lowest level ever this winter
-
Oscars to leave Hollywood in 2029: Academy
-
Trump denies he's desperate for Iran deal, Israel short on troops
-
Lagos secures flood insurance for 4 million at-risk Nigerians
-
In crime-hit Peru, candidates vie to be 'meanest sheriff'
-
Kadioglu fires Turkey past Romania, to brink of World Cup
-
Sinner rips Tiafoe to reach Miami Open semis
-
US lays it on the line as WTO mulls future of global trading
-
Joy, scepticism across west Africa after UN vote on slave trade
-
Salah would be 'asset' says San Diego FC owner
-
Parmesan exports doing grate... but sales melt in Italy
-
US cannot meet Iran war-induced LNG shortfall: industry leaders
-
Trump denies being 'desperate' for Iran deal
-
US envoy to UK warns against cancelling king's visit
-
IOC's new gender testing throws up multiple questions
-
Malinin back to his best as third world skating title beckons
-
Cuban children's heart hospital makes tough choices amid US blockade
-
Oil climbs, stocks slide on uncertainty over US-Iran talks
-
Nepal's PM-to-be delivers first post-election message in rap, urges unity
-
Vernon wins wind-hit Tour of Catalonia stage as Pidcock climbs to second
-
ChatGPT's taste for literary nonsense sparks alarm
-
Paul McCartney recalls Yesterday with first album in five years
-
'True miracle': Napoleon's long-lost hat to go on display
-
Lost in space: Sperm struggles to navigate during weightless sex
-
G7 meets in France hoping to heal transatlantic Iran rift
-
IOC's gender test directive throws up multiple questions
Indonesia revokes licences of drug firms over syrups linked to child deaths
Indonesia's food and drug agency on Wednesday revoked the licences of two chemical firms to distribute materials used in syrup medicines linked to a wave of child deaths caused by kidney failure or damage.
The move comes as the Southeast Asian country suffers a spike in cases of acute kidney injury that has killed nearly 200 children since the end of August, prompting an investigation and ban on the sale of some syrup medicines.
PT Mega Setia Agung Kimia and PT Tirta Buana Kemindo were barred from distributing raw pharmaceutical materials after two potentially harmful chemicals -- diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol -- were found in their supplies of propylene glycol, agency chief Penny Lukito told reporters.
The two chemical compounds are used in industrial products such as antifreeze and have been linked with recent cases of acute kidney injury.
Their distribution licences were revoked for "failing to comply with the requirements," Lukito said.
"They distribute products contaminated with ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol. They also did not conduct inspection to guarantee the quality of the solvents," said Lukito.
The food and drug agency (BPOM) also ordered the recall of syrup medicines from two other pharmaceutical companies -- PT Samco Farma and PT Ciubros Farma -- after tests revealed excessive amounts of those chemicals in their products.
"To those two firms, BPOM has ordered the recall of syrup medicines from distribution across Indonesia and the destruction of batches of products that contain ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol that were above safe levels," Lukito said.
The agency on Sunday ordered the recall and destruction of syrup-based medicines from three other pharmaceutical companies after tests revealed the products contained ethylene glycol "beyond safe levels".
Police have launched an investigation into the three companies and two of them have temporarily lost their licence to produce syrup medicines.
The World Health Organization has said it found an "unacceptable amount" of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol in four Indian-made cough syrups and warned they could be linked to the deaths of nearly 70 children in Gambia due to AKI.
G.Stevens--AMWN
