Docking-1 Max

2024: Prison sentences for those involved in the deaths of children from cough syrup

On February 26, 2024, the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan announced the sentencing of the defendants in the case of the low-quality Indian cough drug Dok-1 Max, due to which almost 70 children died in the country. Former head of the Agency for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry of Uzbekistan Sardor Kariev received 18 years in prison. Read more here.

2022

Death of 65 children due to toxic Indian cough syrups

In Uzbekistan, 65 children died in 2022 due to toxic cough syrups Dok-1 Max, produced by the Indian company Marion Biotech. The press service of the Supreme Court of the republic announced this in August 2023.

The State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan at the end of December 2022 announced the initiation of a criminal case on the death of children after taking Dok-1 Max syrup and the detention of officials of the importing company Quramax Medical and the Scientific Center for Drug Standardization. At the same time, the Agency for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry of Uzbekistan stopped the sale of all Marion Biotech drugs (list), including Tsinepar Kid, Travamax and Ambronol.

Toxic cough syrups leave 65 children dead

According to the ministry, the drugs passed laboratory tests at the Scientific Center for Standardization of Medicines, certificates of conformity were issued on them. However, as previously reported, during the research process, the requirements of regulatory documentation were grossly violated, as a result of which low-quality drugs were allowed to be sold.

At the beginning of 2023, the Pharmaceutical Agency announced the detection of ethylene glycol in the batch of drugs supplied by Marion Biotech, the volume of which was 300 times higher than the norm provided for by medical rules. Instead, the composition of the drugs should have been propylene glycol (a dietary supplement with a bactericidal effect).

In February, it became known that the former head of the Pharmaceutical Agency and the Center for Expertise and Standardization of Drugs Sardor Kariev was also detained. Law enforcement agencies did not report the status of the case after that.

According to Reuters, Marion Biotech could use industrial propylene glycol, a toxic material used in liquid detergents, antifreezes, paints and other products, in its products.^[1]

Death of 18 children due to overdose of paracetomol drug

At the end of December 2022, the Ministry health care Uzbekistan announced the death of 18 children after taking the Dok-1 Max drug manufactured by the Indian company. Marion Biotech According to the department, this was due to an overdose.

As a result of taking Doc-1 Max syrup, 18 children out of 21 with acute respiratory illness died. It was established that the deceased children before admission to inpatient treatment took this drug at home for two to seven days 3-4 times a day 2.5-5 ml, which exceeds the standard dose of the drug for children, the press service said, relying on the results of the investigation.

The Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan reported that all children were given the drug without a doctor's prescription. Doc-1 Max syrup, the main component of the drug is paracetamol

The Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan reported that all children were given the drug without a doctor's prescription. The Doc-1 Max syrup, the main component of the drug is paracetamol, was incorrectly used by parents as an antiprostudal agent on their own or on the recommendation of pharmacy sellers. And this caused the deterioration of the condition of patients.

According to the statement of the department, paracetamol should be used only at a body temperature of 38-38.5 C and above 1 or 2 times a day 100-125 mg for a child under the age of a year, 200 mg for children aged 1-3 years and 250 mg - from 3 to 5 years. At normal body temperature, taking this drug is strictly prohibited.

Preliminary laboratory studies have shown that this batch of Doc-1 Max syrup contains ethylene glycol. This substance is toxic, and about 1-2 ml/kg of 95 percent concentrated solution can cause serious changes in the patient's health, such as vomiting, fainting, seizures, cardiovascular problems, and acute kidney failure.

Tablets and syrups of the Dok-1 Max drug product have been withdrawn from sale in all pharmacies in the country in accordance with the established procedure. The collected documents were transferred to law enforcement agencies.^[2]

Notes