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Toxic Cough Syrup ‘Planocof-D’ Banned in Himachal After Deadly Contaminant Found in Lab Tests
Himachal Pradesh bans cough syrup Planocof-D after tests detected toxic diethylene glycol contamination. The Rürkee-made medicine is the fourth cough syrup pulled from shelves in a month amid rising safety concerns.
Toxic Cough Syrup ‘Planocof-D’ Banned in Himachal After Deadly Contaminant Found in Lab Tests
Authorities in Himachal Pradesh have banned the sale, purchase, and use of the cough syrup Planocof-D after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of a toxic chemical impurity. The syrup, manufactured by Shreya Lifesciences Pvt. Ltd. in Roorkee, was found to contain 0.35% diethylene glycol (DEG) — a poisonous compound known to cause severe kidney and nervous system damage.
The contaminated batch, R25053101, was manufactured in February 2025 and carried an expiry date of January 2027. The findings came from laboratory analysis conducted by the Guwahati unit of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), which classified the product as “not of standard quality.”
Planocof-D contains cetirizine hydrochloride, phenylephrine hydrochloride, and dextromethorphan hydrobromide — common ingredients used in over-the-counter cough and cold formulations. However, the detection of DEG — often used as an industrial solvent — has rendered the product unsafe for human consumption.
State Drug Controller Dr. Manish Kapoor has issued strict instructions to all hospitals, chemists, distributors, and healthcare professionals to immediately discontinue the use and sale of the product. Field officers have been deployed to ensure the syrup is completely withdrawn from the market.
This marks the fourth cough syrup banned in Himachal Pradesh since October due to similar contamination concerns, following earlier bans on Coldrif, Respifresh TR, and Relife Syrup. The latest action comes amid heightened national vigilance after 12 deaths were reported in Madhya Pradesh linked to DEG-contaminated cough syrup — an impurity in propylene glycol, a common base ingredient in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Officials have now intensified random quality testing and market surveillance to prevent a repeat of such public health tragedies.
