More warnings for Chinese medicines in UK
risk from a traditional Chinese medicine called Nu Bao, said to
contain human placenta, deer antler (Corna cervi
pantotrichum) and donkey skin (Colla cori astini) as
ingredients.
All three are potential sources of infection as any animal derivatives or human tissue can lead to the transmission of infective bacteria and viruses, says the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The agency's inspection and enforcement division has written to known suppliers of the product in the UK to instruct them to stop marketing and cancel all advertising and promotion of Nu Bao.
The action follows a warning issued in March for a product called 'Shubao - Slimming Capsules', the suspected cause of irreversible liver failure in one consumer who required a liver transplant.
The product, reportedly found in traditional Chinese medicine outlets, is thought to be promoted as only containing botanical ingredients but is suspected to illegally contain undeclared Nitrosofenfluramine, a drug closely related to the prescription-only fenfluramine. Nitrosofenfluramine is known to be toxic to the liver.
