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The Department of Health today (June 7) urged patients who had been prescribed with an anti-HIV drug, Viracept, to take note of a recall of the drug by its manufacturer due to contamination.
European Medicines Agency announced contamination of the drug by a harmful chemical in its manufacturing process. Roche Pharmaceuticals initiated a voluntary recall.
A Department of health spokesman said that the recall involved Viracept (drug name - nelfinavir) Tablets 250mg and Oral Powder 50mg/g which were registered in Hong Kong in May, 2000. Both are prescription drugs.
He said that according to Roche, the company had informed doctors in Hong Kong who had prescribed the drug to their patients for HIV treatment, to stop prescribing the drug immediately and to consider issuing other appropriate medicines.
The drug has been issued to about 40 patients in Queen Mary Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals of the Hospital Authority, about 80 patients in the department's Kowloon Bay Integrated Treatment Centre and a number of patients under the care of private doctors.
The doctors concerned will contact their patients who are using the drug for follow-up action.
"Patients who have been issued with the drug are advised to consult their doctors immediately," the spokesman said.
"The Department of Health has not received any reports of adverse drug reaction concerning this drug so far and will continue to monitor the situation," he said.
Ends/Thursday, June 7, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:18
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