Tue, Nov 04, 2003 page2

• Five dangerous drugs banned

  • By Joy Su / STAFF REPORTER
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  Five herbal drugs containing aristolochic acid, which is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, will officially be banned today, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

  "The ban will take effect immediately and will prohibit providers from selling and manufacturing the drugs. Pharmacies will have three months to get rid of any remaining drugs containing aristolochia, but must discontinue the sale of the drugs immediately," said Lin I-hsin (林宜信), chairman of the department's Committee on Chinese Me-dicine and Pharmacies.

  Numerous studies have confirmed that the five banned drugs, Aristolochia fangchi, Aristolochia manshuriensis, Aristolochia debilis, Herba Aristolochia and Aristolochia heterophylla, are intimately linked to kidney failure.

  The active ingredient, aristolochic acid, has been identified as a potent carcinogenic substance with a short latency period. It has been banned in several countries, including France, Britain, Canada, the US, Spain, Australia, Germany, Egypt, Malaysia and the Philippines.

  One of the products listed by the DOH as commonly using aristolochic acid is Pei Pa Koa (川貝枇杷膏), an over-the-counter herbal cough syrup used to soothe minor throat irritations. Several other immune system supplements were also listed as possibly containing the acid.

  "These products do not all contain the acid. It is important to check the package insert for the product's ingredients," Lin said, adding that a list of specific brands to avoid would soon be made public.

  The decision to ban the drugs closely follows a recent Veterans General Hospital workshop on herbal medicinal poisoning during which the adverse affects of aristolochic acid were heavily reported in the Chinese-language media.

  Speaking at the workshop, Lin had stated that more documentation on the acid was needed to warrant a ban, while several traditional Chinese doctors said that the benefits of the drug far outweighed its risks. Lin denied that the ban was a result of pressure generated by the workshop.

  "Actually, we've had a committee investigating this for a long time. It's just that the workshop encouraged us to speed up our work," Lin said.

  According to Lin, the DOH would be canceling 69 product licenses to enforce the ban. He further pointed out that 400 other drug factories that manufacture the same products without using the acid would also probably be adversely affected due to consumer alarm.

  "The five banned drugs encompass virtually all of the drugs that might contain aristolochic acid. However, because there might still be others, we've formed an investigative committee to look into how to deal with these drugs," Lin reported.

  Two drugs are at the top of the committee's agenda: Stephania tetrandra and Clematis Montana, both commonly used in place of aristolochic acids by manufacturers. Lin said that more research on these two drugs was necessary.

  According to Lin Jaung-geng (林昭庚), who headed up the DOH investigation, consumers can rest easy if the drug was manufactured by a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certified company.

  He cautioned consumers against medication sold illegally at market stands without a doctor's approval.
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