Public Health Ministry revokes license for traditional medicine in ‘Viagra’ scare

BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Public Health today announced that it was withdrawing its license for the traditional medicine ‘Jianshen’ amid concern that it was contaminated with chemical residues which could pose a danger to consumer health.

Announcing the move, Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said that research conducted on the imported Jianshen Oral Liquid last year showed it to be contaminated with sildenafil, a modern chemical substance better known by its trade name Viagra.

As a result, Jianshen is now being regarded as a counterfeit drug, and it is being removed from the shelves of pharmacies across the country.

Jianshen, imported from China and registered in Thailand for two years, has been marketed as a general tonic.

The presence of sildenafil could pose serious health risks, including the risk of heart attack.

It would appear, however, that the problem is not confined to the latest medicine to face the government axe.

The Secretary-General of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Prof. Pakdee Pothisiri, said today that the FDA had repeatedly found instances of contamination, particularly by steroids, in purportedly ‘traditional’ medicine.

--TNA 2005-02-03

Very unlikely to be contaminated - more likely it is there purposely and as for being as counterfeit drug - this sounds like pressure from pfizer to get it off the market - can't have it cutting into our Massive rip-off from the sales of Viagra.

It will be HARD to give it up!!