Four people die from using fake drug in China
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-05-15 22:58
Four people have died from using the fake Armillarisni A
injection made by a drug company in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province,
China's drug regulator said Monday.
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A patient receives
treatment in a local hospital in Guangzhou, capital city of south's China
Guangdong province May 15, 2006. The patient shows symptoms of acute renal
failure and has been found to have taken a fake injection produced by
a chemical works in Qiqihar, northeast China's Heilongjiang
Provinc. The concerfeit medicine have led to four deaths.
[Xinhua]
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According to the State Food and Drug Administration, a total of 11 people
have fallen victim to the fake drug made by the Qiqihar No. 2 Pharmaceutical
Co.,Ltd.
Six of the victims are still hospitalized and the other one has recovered,
said Zhang Jixiang, spokesman for the administration.
The drug company has been forced to shut down, Zhang said. "All drugs made by
the Qiqihar No. 2 Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd. have been banned from sales
nationwide."
According to Zhang, the company purchased one ton of "propylene glycol" from
a drug dealer named Wang Guiping in September 2005 as auxiliary material for
producing Armillarisni A injection.
The "propylene glycol" is actually diglycol, which causes acute kidney
failure if taken by humans. Unfortunately, quality inspectors failed to find the
problem.
By using the fake auxiliary material or diglycol, the company produced the
injection, mainly for treating acute or chronic cholecystitis and chronic and
atrophic gastritis.
Drug authorities in South China's Guangdong Province reported on May 3 that
patients using the injection had developed acute kidney failure symptoms.
After receiving the report, the State Food and Drug Administration
immediately ordered the distribution and use of the drug be brought under
control and an investigation start right away, said Zhang.
The police have detained the suspect Wang Guiping and put other people
involved in the case under control.
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