The pharmaceutical company Samo, producer of the iodine drug "Antistromin," has had its license temporarily suspended in Uzbekistan following a mass poisoning of children. The Center for Pharmaceutical Product Safety at the Ministry of Health (Uzpharmcontrol) reported that Samo had committed a serious violation of the law.
In December 2023, Uzpharmcontrol filed a lawsuit to revoke the company's license. The court proceedings were suspended on January 19, 2024, due to a criminal investigation into the mass poisoning of children in Namangan.
To protect public health, the Center requested the Zangiata Interdistrict Economic Court to suspend Samo's license until a final judicial decision is made. On March 7, the court temporarily suspended the license issued to Samo on March 30, 2020, for the production of medicinal products (No. 15571).
The incident came to light on September 21, 2023, when at least 71 children were hospitalized in Namangan (later reports indicated illness in 450 children). Parents linked this to the intake of "Antistromin" as part of the iodization program. The Ministry of Health imposed a ban on the use of Samo's "Antistromin" tablets No. 100 until the investigation is completed.
Despite initial suspicions, Deputy Health Minister Elmira Basitkhanova stated that poisoning from food or medication had not been confirmed and attributed the children's symptoms to respiratory infections. A criminal case was initiated following the hospitalization of the children.
In a related development, one of Samo's co-founders, Nodir Yunusov, was reported to be wanted in the United States. He subsequently resigned from the company amidst the iodine drug scandal. Additionally, it was revealed that the Ministry of Health had purchased 3.55 million packages of "Antistromin" (potassium iodide) for nearly 22 billion sum from Samo without a tender for the iodization program.
In 2022, the drug was procured at 5500 sum per package, while this year it increased to 6500 sum, with a retail price of 3000 sum per package. The situation continues to unfold as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the mass poisoning incident.
