Nigeria prevents the sale of a remedy to treat cough because it contains a toxic substance

The National Food and Drug Administration Agency in Nigeria said on Wednesday that it would withdraw a group of syrup to treat coughs from children produced by Johnson & Johnson after discovering an unacceptable high degree of toxic drugs that could be deadly. Laboratory tests on the “Bayiatric” Benelin Bayeline syrup have shown a high level of ethylene glycol, which has been associated in one of the worst poisoning waves in the world since 2022 with the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia, Uzbekistan and Cameroon. The Nigerian agency said in a statement on its website that the drink is used to treat symptoms associated with cough, congestion, sprinkling fever and other allergic reactions in children between two and 12 years. The agency’s statement said: “The product’s laboratory analysis showed that it contained an unacceptably high level of ethylene glycol, and it was found to cause sharp poisoning in the laboratory animals when taken by mouth.” The statement added that the human consumption of material can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and headaches, as well as severe kidney damage that can lead to death. Johnson & Johnson referred a request to comment to the company “Kenvio”, which now has a Benilene commercial plate after the separation last year. Kenvio has not yet responded to the request for comment. The group, withdrawn in South Africa, was produced in May 2021 at the end of the expiry of April 2024. The Nigerian agency withdrew those who have bottles of the group to stop using or selling it and submit it to the nearest agency’s office.