J&J Children’s Cough Syrup is recalled in Kenya due to health concerns

A Johnson & Johnson children’s cough syrup batch has been recalled in Kenya because of cases of drug poisoning that have occurred orally.

Following Nigeria’s lead, which recalled the same batch of Johnson & Johnson children’s cough syrup sold under the Benylin Paediatric brand, Kenya’s drug authority has started a recall of a certain batch of the children’s cough syrup.

The action was taken after laboratory testing by Nigeria’s health regulator revealed a significant concentration of diethylene glycol in the syrup.

Since 2022, this drug has been linked to multiple infant deaths in nations such as Cameroon, Uzbekistan, and the Gambia, making it one of the worst cases of oral medicine poisoning in history.

A notification confirming the start of the investigation was issued by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) of Kenya. The board recommended that the recalled products be returned to suppliers and that sales of specific batches of the product be promptly discontinued.

In response to questions, Kenvue, the company that currently owns the Benylin brand after it split off from J&J last year, has not yet responded.

The PPB states that the batch under recall was produced in May 2021 by J&J in South Africa, and it had an expiration date of April 2024.