Contaminated Medical Product Alert N°5/2025
COLDRIF, Respifresh TR and ReLife oral liquids: contaminated product alert
WHO issued this alert after identifying localised clusters of acute illness and child fatalities in India on 30 September 2025. India's Central Drugs Standard Control Organization reported to WHO on 8 October 2025 the presence of diethylene glycol in at least three oral liquid medicines reportedly consumed by the affected children. State authorities halted production at the sites, suspended authorisations and started a recall. CDSCO reported no exports.1,2
- Issued
- 13 October 2025
- Issued by
- World Health Organization
- Name stated on packaging
- The annex gives Sresan Pharmaceutical (Kancheepuram) for COLDRIF, Rednex Pharmaceutical Pvt Ltd (Ahmedabad, Gujarat) for Respifresh TR and Shape Pharma Pvt. Ltd. (Gujarat) for ReLife as stated manufacturers.
- Countries where detected
- India
Batches named in the alert
SR-13 (COLDRIF, manufactured 05/2025, expiry 04/2027, DEG 48.6% w/v as reported by CDSCO), R01GL2523 (Respifresh TR, manufactured 01/2025, expiry 12/2026, DEG 1.34% w/v), LSL25160 (ReLife, manufactured 01/2025, expiry 12/2026, DEG 0.61% w/v)
Advice as stated
Do not use these products. Seek medical advice promptly after use or an adverse reaction. Regulators should check informal supply chains and other oral liquids made at the same sites since December 2024.
Names printed on falsified products are not evidence that the named company made them. Where WHO or a regulator reports the genuine manufacturer's statement, it is shown.
Sources
- World Health Organization, Medical Product Alert N°5/2025: Substandard (contaminated) oral liquid medicines (13 October 2025)
- World Health Organization, Medical Product Alert N°5/2025: annex (PDF) (13 October 2025)