Curis Lifesciences Pvt. Ltd., an Indian pharmaceutical company, has defended its products after its Para Clear children's medicine was found to be tainted with ethylene glycol in West Africa. The company's director, Jaimik Patel, claimed that there was no possibility of the contaminant being present in their products.
A private Indian laboratory reported that they found trace amounts of less than 0.1% of ethylene glycol in Para Clear, which is below the toxic limit. Despite this, Liberian authorities have quarantined 250 cartons of the medicine since it failed quality tests in both Liberia and Nigeria.
This controversy has sparked concerns over small Indian drugmakers and their ability to produce safe products, as there have been several contamination scandals involving these companies in the past.
However, the head of Liberia's medicine regulator, Keturah Smith-Chineh, has stated that no illnesses have been reported from the consumption of Para Clear. The Nigerian National Agency for Food & Drug Administration issued a public alert in June stating that Para Clear contained "toxic ethylene glycol".
Curis Lifesciences Pvt. Ltd. maintains that its products are safe for consumption and that the contamination reports are unfounded. The controversy surrounding Para Clear highlights the importance of ensuring that pharmaceutical products are thoroughly tested and regulated before being released into the market.