Ministry of Health suspends use, trade of medicine

The Drug Administration of Vietnam under the has requested a halt to purchase and use of three batches of Human Albumin 20% on suspicion of (Photo: bnews.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Drug Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of
Health has requested a halt to purchases and use of three batches of Human
Albumin 20% due to concerns over Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

This medicine is albumin extracted from human plasma and used to
stabilise blood circulation, while Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease is a fatal that kills 90 percent of all sufferers within
a year of diagnosis.

The
request followed an announcement from the Economic and Trade Commission, the
Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam and a warning from the Italian Drug
Administration and Hungarian National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition on
the issue.

At
present, the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease infection has not been confirmed.

The
suspension was to ensure the safety for users while awaiting evaluation from
the administration and the Hungarian counterpart, the administration said in a
dispatch sent to heath departments, hospitals and businesses trading the
product.

Health
facilities nationwide were ordered to monitor, detect and deal with the
potential side effects of the medicine. A report on any incident should also be
sent to the national centre of pharmacy information.

The Codupha
Central Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company, Binh Viet Duc Co Ltd and Central
Pharmaceutical CPC1 Joint Stock Company were asked to temporarily stop
importing, purchasing, selling and distributing the product.

They were
requested to manage the product and inform trading businesses and treatment
facilities to suspend the purchase, sale and use of Human Albumin
20%, 500ml bottle.

A report on
the quantities of products left in stock is believed to have been submitted to
Drug Administration of Vietnam before today (September 20).

According to
a report from the Binh Viet Duc Co Ltd, three batches of
produced by Hungary’s Human BioPlazma Manufacturing and Trading Limited
Liability Company, including 29610616, 29700916, 29590616, have been imported
into Vietnam.

The Binh Viet Duc Co Ltd was also asked to
co-ordinate with the manufacturer to update information on the circulation of
the medicine to Vietnamese authorities.-VNA