Vaccine quality under scrutiny
By Li Xinran |
March 31, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A MAJOR domestic pharmaceutical company based in east China's Jiangsu Province has been accused of deliberately making defective vaccines in the interests of high profits.
At least 1 million people are believed to have been inoculated with substandard vaccines, according to Hong Kong-based Ming Pao newspaper.
Seven of the company's top executives had been arrested on suspicion of producing and selling defective drugs, the newspaper said.
Ealong Biotech Co Ltd, with headquarters in Changzhou, had several batches of rabies vaccine detected with quality defects last December.
Production of that vaccine was suspended immediately but no further action was taken, the newspaper said.
Changzhou's food and drug administration said a state-level FDA investigation was ongoing. The Ministry of Health said it was awaiting results of the inquiry.
Ming Pao accused Ealong Biotech of using an additive to boost quantity at the expense of quality.
The newspaper said the company "cut corners" in more than half of its vaccine products in recent years.
The firm is now controlled by New York-listed Simcere Pharmaceutical Group but there is no evidence linking the American parent to the vaccine scandal.
Guangzhou-based 21st Century Business Herald said Ealong Biotech was likely to soon gain a major new contract despite its problems.
The newspaper said state FDA experts visited the Jiangsu plant a week ago to oversee renewed certification to produce swine-flu vaccine.
Ealong Biotech is one of just eight domestic manufacturers authorized to produce the H1N1 vaccine and received two orders totaling 6.31 million doses last year.
The company also produced 11 percent of the nation's rabies vaccines in 2008 and had the biggest flu vaccine sales in four consecutive years.
Meanwhile, health authorities in north China's Shanxi Province ruled out any link between 15 children who either died or fell seriously ill and vaccines. They cited latest investigations by the province's medical experts.
At least 1 million people are believed to have been inoculated with substandard vaccines, according to Hong Kong-based Ming Pao newspaper.
Seven of the company's top executives had been arrested on suspicion of producing and selling defective drugs, the newspaper said.
Ealong Biotech Co Ltd, with headquarters in Changzhou, had several batches of rabies vaccine detected with quality defects last December.
Production of that vaccine was suspended immediately but no further action was taken, the newspaper said.
Changzhou's food and drug administration said a state-level FDA investigation was ongoing. The Ministry of Health said it was awaiting results of the inquiry.
Ming Pao accused Ealong Biotech of using an additive to boost quantity at the expense of quality.
The newspaper said the company "cut corners" in more than half of its vaccine products in recent years.
The firm is now controlled by New York-listed Simcere Pharmaceutical Group but there is no evidence linking the American parent to the vaccine scandal.
Guangzhou-based 21st Century Business Herald said Ealong Biotech was likely to soon gain a major new contract despite its problems.
The newspaper said state FDA experts visited the Jiangsu plant a week ago to oversee renewed certification to produce swine-flu vaccine.
Ealong Biotech is one of just eight domestic manufacturers authorized to produce the H1N1 vaccine and received two orders totaling 6.31 million doses last year.
The company also produced 11 percent of the nation's rabies vaccines in 2008 and had the biggest flu vaccine sales in four consecutive years.
Meanwhile, health authorities in north China's Shanxi Province ruled out any link between 15 children who either died or fell seriously ill and vaccines. They cited latest investigations by the province's medical experts.
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