Foreign Product Alert

2007-86
July 16, 2007
For immediate release

Health Canada is advising consumers not to use the following product listed in the table below due to concerns about possible side-effects. More info

Jie Jie Pills and Chuan Xiong Cha Tiao Wan

Date of alert	July 16, 2007
Source of Alert	Hong Kong Department of Health UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Clinical Toxicology journal
Product Names	Jie Jie Pills Chuan Xiong Cha Tiao Wan
Manufacturer / Place of Origin	Jie Jie Pills manufacturer - BaiYun-Shan, Factory of Guangzhou (China) Chuan Xiong Cha Tiao Wan manufacturer - Lanzhou Fu Ci Pharmaceutical Co. (China)
Products Description	Jie Jie Pills and Chuan Xiong Cha Tiao Wan are proprietary Chinese medicines that have been found to contain aristolochic acid, a natural toxin known to cause kidney failure and cancer in humans. Jie Jie Pills are black in colour and are contained in a bottle bearing a green label with red Chinese lettering. The bottle is enclosed in a box bearing a green label and the product name.
Reason for Warning	The Hong Kong Department of Health and the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have advised against the use of the product Jie Jie Pills because it has been found to contain aristolochic acid, a natural toxin known to cause kidney failure and cancer in humans. In addition, a recent article in the journal Clinical Toxicology reported that the product Chuan Xiong Cha Tiao Wan is contaminated with aristolochic acid.
Possible Side Effects	Documented reports show that aristolochic acid has the potential to induce kidney failure and cancer in humans. Herbs containing aristolochic acid are restricted in Canada because of their known toxicity.

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Media Inquiries:
Alastair Sinclair
Health Canada
(613) 946-4250

This product is not authorized for sale in Canada and has not been found in the Canadian marketplace. However, it is possible this product could be purchased by Canadians travelling abroad or has been brought into Canada through personal importation by travellers or purchased over the Internet.

Canadians who have this product are advised not to use it, and should consult with a health care professional if they have concerns about their health related to the use of this product.

Drugs and natural health products that are authorized for sale in Canada will have either an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) on the label. These numbers indicate that the products have been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness and quality.

Health Canada advises Canadians to contact the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate at 1-800-267-9675 if they find the product listed in the table in the Canadian marketplace.

For more information about the information contained in this advisory, please contact Health Canada's public inquiries line at (613) 957-2991 or toll-free at 1-866-225-0709.

As of the date of this posting, no adverse reactions suspected to be associated with the use of this product have been reported in Canada.