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Press Release

Proprietary Chinese medicines containing Aristolochic Acid prohibited

June 1, 2004

The Department of Health (DH) reminded members of the public that starting from today (June 1), importation and sale of proprietary Chinese medicines containing Aristolochic Acid (AA) will be prohibited. Application for registration of this kind of products will not be approved.

The decision was discussed by the Chinese Medicines Board of the Chinese Medicine Council earlier and announced by DH on April 24.

A spokesman for DH said, ""DH has instructed the manufacturers of these products to recall the products from the market."

Members of the public who have purchased the products are advised to stop using it, dispose of it or surrender it to the distributors of respective products or the Chinese Medicines Section of DH on 2/F, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon during office hours.

Members of the public may call DH at 2319 5119 for enquiries during office hours.

Herbs containing AA is associated with kidney failure and cancer of the urinary tract.

The spokesman said: "DH has not received any adverse reports from the public associated with the use of these products. Members of the public are advised to consult Chinese medicine practitioners before taking Chinese medicine."

The following products have been tested by DH and confirmed to contain AA and distributors should cease the importation and sale of these products from 1.6.2004 and recall the products from the market:-

Name of Proprietary Chinese Medicine
Name of Manufacturer
Name of Distributor
Telephone Number of Distributor
1.
"HOI PING PAI" REFINED SANSHETAN CHUANPEIMO
GUANGZHOU QIXING PHARMACEUTICAL CO. LTD.
CHINA FEN HIN MEDICINE CO., LTD
2743 3416
2.
HUA TAN COUGH CAPSULES
GUANGZHOU ZHONGYI PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY LIMITED
TAT HONG COMPANY
2393 2989
3.
HERBA ASARI
PURAPHARM (NANNING) PHARMACEUTICALS CO. LTD.
NONG'S COMPANY LIMITED
2840 1840
4.
YISHEN JUANBI WAN
---
JACKSON INDUSTRIAL
2511 3707
5.
CHAISENTOMG NASAL
CHAISENTOMG PHARMACEUTICAL FACTORY LTD
CHAISENTOMG PHARMACEUTICAL FACTORY LTD
6.
FU ZHI LING
---
MAN'S CHEUNG HONG
2771 1279
7.
SAN BI TANG-JOINT FORMULA
PURAPHARM (NANNING) PHARMACEUTICALS CO. LTD.
NONG'S COMPANY LIMITED
2840 1840
8.
CHINESE MEDICINE NASAL RESCUE
WAI YUEN TONG MEDICINE CO., LTD
WAI YUEN TONG MEDICINE CO., LTD
2727 8911
9.
RHEUMATIC PILLS (translation)
LEE HOONG KEE LIMITED
LEE HOONG KEE LIMITED
2541 2080
10.
PAK FUNG PILLS (translation)
LEE HOONG KEE LIMITED
LEE HOONG KEE LIMITED
2541 2080
11.
SHUNAI ZHIKE HUATAN WAN
BEIJING TONG REN TANG HONG KONG MEDICINE MANAGEMENT LIMITED
BEIJING TONG REN TANG HONG KONG MEDICINE MANAGEMENT LIMITED
2587 8788
12.
HAY FEVER KILLER
TUNG TAK TONG CHINESE MEDICINE MFG. CO., LTD
TUNG TAK TONG CHINESE MEDICINE MFG. CO., LTD
2545 1551
13.
MINOR BLUE DRAGON COMBINATION
-
ACE PHARMACEUTICALS (HK) LIMITED
2753 8818
14.
LING KAN CHIANG WEI HSIN JEN TANG EXTRACT GRANULES
SUN TEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD.
SUN TEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD.
3428 2333
15.
MA HUANG FU TZU HIS HSIN EXTRACT GRANULES
SUN TEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD.
SUN TEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD.
3428 2333
16.
PU FEI E JIAO SAN EXTRACT GRANULES
SUN TEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD.
SUN TEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD.
3428 2333
17.
SONG DAN SEGAN PILLS
HENAN SHIZHEN MEDICINES PRODUCTS CO., LTD
WAH SHUN MEDICINE LIMITED
2571 0775
18.
GENTIANA COMBINATION
-
ACE PHARMACEUTICALS (HK) LIMITED
2753 8818
19.
???????
DU ZHONG JIN GU BI TONG WAN
---
MING WAH COMPANY
2562 6129
20.
CHUI FONG TOU KU WAN
PO WO TONG MEDICINE FACTORY LTD.
PO WO TONG MEDICINE FACTORY LTD.
2505 7336
21.
SO HOP PILLS
MA PAK LEUNG CO., LTD
MA PAK LEUNG CO., LTD
2544 0539

To facilitate Chinese medicine traders to effectively and properly dispose of proprietary Chinese medicines containing AA, DH will provide a central recall service. Between June 1 and 30, traders may send the properly packaged proprietary Chinese medicines products to the Chinese Medicines Section of DH on 2/F, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon. DH will collectively dispose of the products.

01 June 2004