Indonesian families sue drug regulator and government after children die of kidney disease
JAKARTA: More than a dozen parents file a complaint Indonesiadrug regulator and health ministry for allowing drugs linked to acute kidney injury that killed their children or damaged their organs to enter the country, their lawyer told Reuters on Friday.
Nearly 200 children have died from acute kidney injury in Indonesia this year and authorities have said two ingredients, ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol, found in some syrup-based paracetamol drugs are linked to the sickness.
Both ingredients are used in antifreeze, brake fluids and other industrial applications, but also as a cheaper alternative in some pharmaceuticals to glycerin, a solvent or thickener in many cough syrups. They can be toxic and lead to acute kidney injury.
Awan Puryadi, a lawyer representing the parents, said each family demanded up to 2 billion rupees ($129,575.64) in compensation for their children’s deaths or organ damage.
“These parents just wanted to treat their sick children,” he said, adding that the class action lawsuit was filed against the Indonesian Food and Drug Agency (BPOM), the Ministry of Health and several companies. pharmaceuticals last month.
“No one has claimed responsibility for the deaths,” he said.
David Tobing of the consumer group Indonesian Consumers Community said he also filed a separate complaint last month against the BPOM for failing to test the contaminated syrups himself.
The Department of Health said it would “review” the lawsuit once it is received.
BPOM did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Indonesian authorities have suspended the licenses of some pharmaceutical companies and are investigating raw material supply chains and selection processes to understand how an excessive amount of toxic ingredients ended up in their products.
Indonesia investigated the deaths in consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO) after a similar incident in Gambia this year, which has seen at least 70 deaths linked to Indian-made syrups Maiden Pharmaceuticals.
Nearly 200 children have died from acute kidney injury in Indonesia this year and authorities have said two ingredients, ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol, found in some syrup-based paracetamol drugs are linked to the sickness.
Both ingredients are used in antifreeze, brake fluids and other industrial applications, but also as a cheaper alternative in some pharmaceuticals to glycerin, a solvent or thickener in many cough syrups. They can be toxic and lead to acute kidney injury.
Awan Puryadi, a lawyer representing the parents, said each family demanded up to 2 billion rupees ($129,575.64) in compensation for their children’s deaths or organ damage.
“These parents just wanted to treat their sick children,” he said, adding that the class action lawsuit was filed against the Indonesian Food and Drug Agency (BPOM), the Ministry of Health and several companies. pharmaceuticals last month.
“No one has claimed responsibility for the deaths,” he said.
David Tobing of the consumer group Indonesian Consumers Community said he also filed a separate complaint last month against the BPOM for failing to test the contaminated syrups himself.
The Department of Health said it would “review” the lawsuit once it is received.
BPOM did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Indonesian authorities have suspended the licenses of some pharmaceutical companies and are investigating raw material supply chains and selection processes to understand how an excessive amount of toxic ingredients ended up in their products.
Indonesia investigated the deaths in consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO) after a similar incident in Gambia this year, which has seen at least 70 deaths linked to Indian-made syrups Maiden Pharmaceuticals.
