The Tamil Nadu government has cancelled the manufacturing licence of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the maker of the contaminated cough syrup Coldrif, following the deaths of 22 children in Madhya Pradesh. The firm has also been shut down, officials confirmed on Monday.
“The licence to manufacture has been completely cancelled, and the company has been closed,” said a statement from the state’s health department.
The owner of the Kancheepuram-based company, G Ranganathan, was arrested from his Chennai residence last week by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Madhya Pradesh. Tamil Nadu has also suspended state drug inspectors in Kancheepuram for failing to inspect the pharma unit since 2022.
The Sresan Pharma company, linked to the cough syrup Coldrif scandal, has had its manufacturing licenses revoked and has been shut down. The Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department found 48.6% Diethylene Glycol (DEG) in Coldrif syrup, linked to child deaths in Madhya Pradesh. Owner… pic.twitter.com/hmERkf8mFe
— IANS (@ians_india) October 13, 2025
The investigation began after Madhya Pradesh’s drug authority alerted its Tamil Nadu counterpart on 1 October. Subsequent tests on the same batch of Coldrif revealed contamination. Authorities found that the syrup had been made using non-pharmacopoeial grade Propylene Glycol, which was contaminated with Diethylene Glycol (DEG) and Ethylene Glycol, toxic substances known to harm the kidneys. Shockingly, tests conducted on 3 October evening detected 48.6% DEG in samples, a level 486 times higher than the permissible limit.
In response, Tamil Nadu immediately banned the sale of Coldrif to prevent private vendors from distributing the syrup. The state confirmed that government clinics and hospitals do not procure Coldrif, as all medicines are supplied through the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC).
The government issued a stop-production order on 3 October. On 5 October, a notice was sent to the pharmaceutical company asking why their licence should not be fully cancelled, demanding a response within 10 days. A show cause notice was later issued to Ranganathan and analytical chemist K. Maheswari on 7 October.
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