Meanwhile, BBC Indonesia reported that there are two other pharma companies embroiled in the scandal namely PT Universal Pharmaceutical and PT Yarindo Farmatama. PT Universal Pharmaceutical Industries is known as the producer of Unibebi Cough Syrup, Unibebi Fever Syrup, Unibebi Fever Drops; while PT Yarindo Farmatama produces Flurine DMP.
BPOM test results prove that the companies use “unqualified” medicinal raw materials with EG and DEG content “many times” above the safe threshold of 0.1 milligrams per millilitre.
Read: Govt should designate AKI as “extraordinary occurrence,” says epidemiologist
“Considering the very high concentration of EG and DEG levels, we suspect that it’s not merely contamination, but the raw materials already contain EG and DEG. The raw materials are already poisonous,” said Penny, who also called out drug and food crimes a “crime against humanity”.
A total of 269 cases of AKI have been found in Indonesia based on the Health Ministry data as of October 27. Of that, 157 patients have died. The case of acute renal impairment was strongly suspected to be related to excessive amount of EG and DEG, commonly used as solvent in medicinal syrups. (rr)