After three deaths this month, China's State Food and Drug Administration and Ministry of Health made a joint announcement on Sept. 17 to suspend the sale and use of a Chinese herbal drug administered by injection.
The SFDA’s announcement said that injections of Shuang huang lian (SHL) given by Heilongjiang's Duoduo Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. led to severe reactions, according to a report in the state-run media Xinhua on Sept. 19.
Three patients from Anhui, Yunnan and Jiangsu provinces died on Sept. 7, 12 and 15 respectively after taking SHL injections when used with various other medications, according to the China News Service, a state-run media.
SHL injections made by the Jiamusi branch of Heilongjiang Wusulijiang Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. caused one death in northwest China's Qinghai Province in February of this year.
Currently, 450,000 20cc (20ml) bottles of SHL have been manufactured in three batches and distributed nationwide. The manufacturer has a 14 year history of producing the product with an annual production of 200 million bottles. Duoduo is also the largest pharmaceutical manufacturer in Helongjiang.
Shuang huang lian is a formula comprised of lonicera, scute and forsythia, traditional Chinese herbs, and is commonly used for treating respiratory infections. It is often administered in pill form.
At present, the SFDA and the Ministry of Health say they are investigating the cause of the deaths
Read the original Chinese article.
|
|
|
