Ten people have died from using fake drug made by a Chinese pharmaceutical
company in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, hospital sources said
Saturday.
The tenth victim passed away Friday in the No. 3 Zhongshan Hospital in
Guangzhou, capital city of southern China's Guangdong Province, after medical
treatment failed.
The deceased, 60, surnamed Chen, had been hospitalized since March 29 due to
hepatitis.
After using the fake Armillarisni A injection from the Qiqihar No. 2
Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd., he showed symptoms of fever, vomit and anorexia.
He died of heart, kidney and liver failures at last, said Gao Zhiliang,
director of infection department with the hospital.
Another patient suffered from the fake medicine is in critical condition and
the conditions of three others are stable, doctors said.
The toxic substance, identified as diglycol, causes pain at alimentary canal
and stomach and brings damage to kidney, nervous system and liver if taken by
humans.
One ton of diglycol was sold to the factory last November as "propylene
glycol", an auxiliary material for producing Armillarisni A injections. The
company's quality inspectors failed to discover the problem.
Using diglycol, the company produced the injection, mainly for treating acute
or chronic cholecystitis and chronic and atrophic gastritis.
The seller of the fake drugs has been arrested.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has ordered government departments to launch a
thorough investigation into the fake drug incident and intensify the
straightening out of the pharmaceutical market.
The plant was shut down and the sale of all its drugs has been banned. The
State Food and Drug Administration has also ordered the tracking down and
destroying of relevant drugs sold to various regions.
China has launched an overhaul of pharmaceutical plants nationwide after the
fake drug caused deaths.
