Drug regulators get hands-on training to detect toxic glycols in cough syrups

India's pharmacopoeia body trained state drug-testing labs to detect ethylene and diethylene glycol contamination in liquid medicines — tightening the analytical net after such toxins were linked to child deaths.

What happened

• The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) conducted its 2nd hands-on training programme on the determination of Ethylene Glycol (EG) and Diethylene Glycol (DEG) in oral liquid preparations by Gas Chromatography (GC), on 22-23 June 2026 at its Ghaziabad campus.
• It was inaugurated by Dr V. Kalaiselvan, Secretary-cum-Scientific Director, IPC, with the Deputy Drugs Controller of Delhi as Guest of Honour.
• Participants from state drug-testing laboratories in Haryana, Goa, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya received practical training in advanced analytical methods.
• The programme emphasised strengthening the analytical capabilities of regulatory laboratories to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines.
• It is aimed at the effective implementation of Indian Pharmacopoeia standards and at preventing toxic-contaminant incidents in syrups.

For Prelims

• Ethylene Glycol (EG) & Diethylene Glycol (DEG): Toxic industrial solvents that can contaminate cough syrups (often via adulterated propylene glycol/glycerine); ingestion can cause acute kidney injury and death — linked to child fatalities in India and abroad (Gambia, Uzbekistan).
• Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC): An autonomous body under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare that publishes the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) — the official book of drug standards — and runs the National Coordination Centre for Pharmacovigilance (PvPI).
• Gas Chromatography (GC): An analytical technique to separate and quantify volatile compounds — used here to detect EG/DEG at trace levels in liquid medicines.
• Regulators: The CDSCO (central) and state drug controllers license and inspect; state drug-testing laboratories test samples for quality — capacity-building here strengthens that testing network.
• Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940: The law governing drug quality, manufacture and sale; mandatory testing of cough-syrup ingredients was tightened after contamination incidents.
• Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) standards: Quality specifications (identity, purity, limits) that medicines must meet; uniform testing methods ensure consistent enforcement.
• Don't confuse: EG and DEG are toxic contaminants (not the active drug); the IPC sets standards/trains labs — it is distinct from CDSCO (the regulator) and from manufacturers.

For Mains

Syllabus: GS2.13 · GS2.9 · Linkage L1