Nothing harmful found in Napa syrup, says drug regulator

Samples from three batches of Napa paracetamol syrup have been tested following the deaths of two children who ingested the medicine, and no harmful substances have been found, according to the Directorate General of Drug Administration.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 14 March 2022, 11:59 AM
Updated : 14 March 2022, 05:24 PM

The cause of their deaths is still unclear and investigators are waiting for the autopsy report. The DGDA said it could not check the sample from the bottle which was used by the children’s family as police took it away for evidence.

The DGDA seized eight bottles of Napa from the store in Brahmanbaria’s Ashuganj where the medicine taken by the children came from, said Major General Mohammad Yousuf, director general of the organisation, at a press conference on Monday.

Samples were also taken from two other batches, he said.

“No harmful substances were found in the samples tested from those three batches of Napa syrup.”

The DGDA was, however, unable to test the bottle the children drank from.

“The CID took that bottle during their investigation,” said Major General Yousuf. “Once the CID report is ready, we will know whether the children died from drinking the syrup.”

He also said investigators were waiting for the autopsy reports.

Yousuf said the samples contained propylene glycol, but not the harmful substance diethylene glycol.

“We’re testing more samples and the results will be published, but we’ve found the samples tested until now as of proper standard.”

The DGDA formed a six-strong committee to investigate the incident and its members talked to the victims’ family.

Yousuf said the DGDA would have tested the sample from the bottle which was used by the family had the Criminal Investigation Department of police not seized it as evidence.

The CID report will confirm whether the children died from consuming Napa or not.

The Bangladesh Chemists and Druggists Society requested its members not to sell products from the batch of Napa, one of the most sold paracetamol drugs in the country.

Yousuf said they organised the press conference also to remove confusion about the medicine.

Citing Beximco Pharmaceuticals, the producer of the drug,  he said the batch contained 82,000 bottles of Napa.