Date:07/04/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/04/07/stories/2004040702290200.htm

Back Nicholas Piramal backs cough syrup quality

Our Bureau

Mumbai , April 6

NICHOLAS Piramal India Ltd (NPIL) on Monday said it stood by the quality of its paediatric cough syrup, Tixylix.

The company statement comes following recent media reports that the Delhi government's Drug Control Department had said the product was sub-standard. Further, the company added that it would contest the testing procedure adopted by the Ghaziabad-based laboratory of the Delhi Drug Control Department (DCD).

NPIL officials told Business Line that the developments had happened 18 months ago, when the DCD's officials had tested products with one of NPIL's distributors.

"The procedure used to test our product at the Ghaziabad laboratory is inappropriate. One requires sophisticated machinery to test the Codine element. Besides, we have not been show-caused till now by the Department," the NPIL official said.

Significantly, the company points out: "Tixylix contains a controlled substance and is subject to strict testing by the drug administration in Gujarat, where it is manufactured. The Baroda laboratory of Gujarat FDA has tested the samples of the same product and reported it to be of `Standard Quality.'"