Nigerian authorities withdrew a batch of Johnson & Johnson's Benylin baby syrup due to toxicity.
Benylin, used to treat coughs, hay fever, and other allergies in children ages two to 12, contains an unacceptable level of diethylene glycol, according to Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
Diethylene glycol, a substance that causes abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney failure, and death, is reportedly used by unscrupulous manufacturers as a cheap alternative to glycerin.
This is not the first scandal in Africa, involving Johnson & Johnson, in September 2023, the South African Competition Commission launched an investigation into the artificial extension of the patent by the American pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to monopolize the African country's market.