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FDA Issues Warning about Chinese Diet Pills Containing the Banned Diet Drug Fenfluramine (PONDIMIN)

Worst Pills, Best Pills Newsletter article October, 2002

On August 13, 2002, the Food and Drug Administration warned the public about the Chinese weight loss products CHASU (JIANFEI) DIET CAPSULES and CHASU GEMPI because they pose a potential public health risk. The alert followed illnesses reported in several people in Japan, some of whom died, after consuming these products. The deaths may have resulted from the presence of fenfluramine (PONDIMIN) in these products.

The diet drug fenfluramine was one-half of the notorious “phen-fen” combination...

On August 13, 2002, the Food and Drug Administration warned the public about the Chinese weight loss products CHASU (JIANFEI) DIET CAPSULES and CHASU GEMPI because they pose a potential public health risk. The alert followed illnesses reported in several people in Japan, some of whom died, after consuming these products. The deaths may have resulted from the presence of fenfluramine (PONDIMIN) in these products.

The diet drug fenfluramine was one-half of the notorious “phen-fen” combination that was banned on September 15, 1997 because it caused heart valve damage and an adverse reaction of the lung known as primary pulmonary hypertension, both of which are potentially fatal (see the October 1997 issue of Worst Pills, Best Pills News).

We have written a number of times about problems with Chinese medications in the past two years (see the July 2000, February 2001 and April 2001 issues of Worst Pills, Best Pills News). The theme is the same: these products are not regulated by the FDA and the contents in the bottle may not be listed on the label.

What You Can Do

You should avoid Chinese medicines and other unregulated dietary or herbal supplements. Their use is risky.