Thirteen Indicted of Infiltrating Hospital with Fake Drugs

Thirteen suspects were charged by the Luwan District Prosecutors’ Office of manufacturing and selling a fake cancer drug that caused eye infections in 61 people in Shanghai on April 26, 2011.

116 patients of Shanghai No. 1 People’s Hospital were prescribed Avastin, a cancer drug also used to treat macular degeneration in September 2010. Of those patients, 61 suffered serious eye inflammation and degraded vision, reports the Shanghai Daily.

After the massive outbreak of illness, the drug was tested by the city’s drug accreditation institute and identified as counterfeit. The drug had been transferred into the hospital through the city’s Ruijin AmMed Cancer Center, which had illegally purchased the medication. Both institutions were fined by for their involvement.

By S. Imber