African countries recall batch of Johnson and Johnson cough syrup because of toxicity concerns

Drug regulators in several African countries have recalled a batch of Johnson & Johnson children’s cough syrup after officials in Nigeria reported high levels of toxicity in one batch of the drug.

Officials in Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe have recalled batch 329203 of the oral medicine, typically used to treat coughs, hay fever, and other allergic reactions in children. While the other countries have stopped trade and use of the drugs in the batch, South Africa has recalled an additional batch.

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) said it received a report on 13 April from the Nigerian National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) regarding the detection of high levels of diethylene glycol in a batch of Benylin Paediatric Syrup.1 Diethylene glycol is an organic substance …