Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: Thanh Nien Daily | Suspect diabetes drug still sold in Vietnam

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Thanh Nien Daily | Suspect diabetes drug still sold in Vietnam

Last updated: 11/19/2010 13:35

Mediator tables, banned in several European countries on health concerns, are still widely sold in the country

The diabetes and weight loss drug Mediator, recently linked to 500 deaths worldwide, and banned in some Europe countries is still being sold widely in Vietnam.

The French Health Minister had recently warned any users of the drug — the brand name for benflourex in France — between 2006 and 2009 to see their doctor and get tested immediately for heart valve damage.

It followed a warning by France’s drug safety body l’Afssaps on Mediator’s active ingredient benfluorex. Since its launch in 1976, “analyses by expert epidemiologists estimate that about 500 deaths could be attributable to benfluorex,” it said.

The drug, produced by France-based pharmaceutical giant Servier, has been banned in France, the United States, Spain and Italy.

The European Medicines Agency pulled benflourex from the market November last year, saying it had little effect on diabetes and might lead to a dangerous thickening of heart valves.

Meanwhile Vietnam Drug Administration at the Health Ministry issued a statement on August 30 this year calling for the withdrawal of the drug's registration, only after requested by Servier.

Local health agencies and hospitals only received the order about withdrawing the registration two weeks after that.

And the administration still allows the batches that are produced before August 30 to be sold until they expire.

A pharmacist named M. in Ho Chi Minh City said according to the administration, many Mediator batches will still be on the market for three to four years from now.

The pharmacist said the administration might be helping importers to sell all the drugs they have bought. “Then what about people’s health?”

Several pharmacies in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City said they haven't received any notice from the authorities, but were only informed in recent months by Mediator distributors that they would stop supplying the drug.

Most users were not updated about possible dangers of the drug but only know that it is no longer sold overseas. Thus many drug stores in HCMC have been charging more for the tablets.

Mediator has been sold on Vietnam market for around 20 years. It has been used by around 5 million people worldwide since 1976.

Reported by Thanh Tung - Lien Chau

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“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.