Man arrested for selling unregistered pharmaceutical product

8 Mar 2010

A 26-year-old man was today (March 8) arrested in a joint operation between the Department of Health (DH) and the police as part of a follow-up investigation into the sale of an unregistered slimming product which was earlier found to contain undeclared Western drug ingredients.

The man was suspected of selling the product named Comecoo.

Two boxes of the product were seized from the man at the time of his arrest and four boxes of Comecoo were also found in a home search.

"According to preliminary enquiry, it was claimed that the product was obtained from the Mainland," a department spokesman said.

Late last year, the department obtained "Comecoo" from an Internet auction website during the department's surveillance operation.

The department issued a warning last December reminding people not to take the product as laboratory tests on the product showed the presence of sibutramine, phenolphthalein and two analogues of sibutramine.

The spokesman said the product was not a registered pharmaceutical product in Hong Kong.

The spokesman said that sibutramine was a Western medicine used as an appetite suppressant. Its side-effects included increased blood pressure and heart rate, psychosis and possibly convulsion. People with heart problems should not take it.

The sibutramine analogue, being chemically similar to sibutramine, is expected to have the same side effects as sibutramine.

Phenolphthalein was once used for treating constipation but has been banned for its cancer-causing effect.

A product containing sibutramine must be registered before it can be sold in Hong Kong. It can be sold only on a doctor's prescription and dispensed under the supervision of a pharmacist.

He said, "Sale of unregistered pharmaceutical products is an offence under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance. The maximum penalty is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment.

The spokesman urged people not to sell or buy products of unknown or doubtful composition.

"The safety and quality of products with unknown ingredients are doubtful. Anyone in unlawful possession of products containing controlled drugs such as dangerous drugs is liable to prosecution."

People should stop using the products immediately. They should see a doctor if they feel unwell after taking the product.

They should destroy and dispose of the products or submit them to the department's Pharmaceutical Service at 3/F, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon, during office hours.

The spokesman said, "Weight control should be achieved through good diet and appropriate exercise. People should consult healthcare professionals before using any medication for weight control."