HealthTech

Will the cough syrup crisis finally push India to reform drug regulations?

Anuj Suvarna

October 22, 2025 | 8 Min Read

Repeated tragedies from diethylene glycol–laced syrups reveal the cost of regulatory gaps in a booming but weakly monitored market. India can learn from the US response to a similar tragedy in 1937.

In 1937, many parents across America watched helplessly as their children died screaming in pain after taking a raspberry-flavoured cough syrup. The killer turned out to be diethylene glycol, an antifreeze ingredient that dissolved the drug.

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