The State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) has banned weight-loss drug fenfluramine hydrochloride for the adverse effects it causes to the human body.
"To ensure the safe use of medicine, China will stop the production, sale and use of fenfluramine hydrochloride and the raw materials that are used to produce it," Yan Jiangying, spokeswoman for the SFDA, said at a press conference yesterday.
Fenfluramine hydrochloride is used to inhibit the appetite.
Studies have found that the drug can cause heart failure, hematuria, tachycardia and nausea, Yan said, with the health risks from using it far outweighing its perceived benefits.
"Manufacturers must recall their products and those who have bought the drug can ask for a refund from hospitals and pharmacies," she said.
The United States and a number of European countries banned the drug in 2000, Yan said.
Source: China Daily
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