Investigations Launched Into Ondansetron Following Patient Complications

COLOMBO (News 1st): The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has announced that an investigation has commenced to determine the quality of the drug Ondansetron, following reports of adverse complications.

Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama, Chairman of the NMRA, says that laboratory tests are currently being conducted at the Medical Research Institute in Borella and within the NMRA’s own laboratories.

Additionally, the pharmaceutical company responsible for importing the drug has requested that samples also be tested at a laboratory overseas.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has suspended the use of all types of injections produced by the Indian company that manufactured the Ondansetron batch in question.

The Director General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena, noted that it has not yet been definitively confirmed whether recent deaths were caused by these injections. 

Ondansetron is a medication commonly administered to patients suffering from nausea and vomiting.

Complications were reported among patients at the Kandy National Hospital after receiving the injection December 12.

Subsequent testing of the vaccine samples of patient's blood samples also confirmed the presence of microorganisms.

Accordingly, Use of the specific controversial batch of Ondansetron was immediately suspended.

An inquiry has also been launched to determine if there is a link between the injection and the deaths of two patients at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (IDH), who had also been administered the drug.