China's State Food and Drug Administration Saturday said it recalled over 4,500 bottles of ciwujia herbal injection produced by Wandashan Pharmaceutical Company in the northeastern Heilongjiang Province. The move was necessitated after the herbal injection was suspected to be the cause of three deaths earlier in the week.
The SFDA confirmed six patients in southwestern Yunnan Province were taken seriously ill with symptoms of vomiting and even slipping into coma after being administered ciwujia from two batches.
The drug regulator said it was in the process of testing other batches of ciwujia injections produced by Wandashan. Wandashan Pharmaceutical has been manufacturing ciwujia for more than 30 years.
Ciwujia or Endurox is indicated as a work out supplement to build endurance and to metabolize fat. The root of ciwujia is often consumed as a tonic to reduce fatigue and boost energy levels in China. It is also known as Siberian ginseng, but is not a true ginseng. Ginseng relates to species within Panax, a genus of 11 species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots. Found in the northern hemisphere in eastern Asia, they typically grow in cooler climates.
The Chinese regulatory authorities found two batches of ciwujia produced in December 2007 of substandard quality. A total of 47,930 bottles had been sold to 53 drug stores and 92 hospitals spread over China, of which a total, 43,383 injections of ciwujia had already been used.
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