It is an anti-cholesterol supplement that contains yeast rice. There are also 114 boarding schools. Patients suffer from kidney failure.
The Japanese pharmaceutical group Kobayashi Pharmaceutical announced this Friday that it is investigating a fifth death potentially linked to the intake of anti-cholesterol dietary supplements. containing red rice yeast.
In addition, 114 people are hospitalized, presumably due to the consumption of these products, the group said in a press conference. Patients suffer from kidney failure.
Media outlets also reported on Thursday a case of hospitalization in Taiwan, also potentially related to these Kobayashi Pharmaceutical products. If confirmed, it would be the first known case outside of Japan.
“I deeply apologize for the great anxiety we have caused.”declared Akihiro Kobayashi, president of the group, on Friday, bowing before the cameras along with other company executives in a sign of contrition.
He also said he “regretted” that the company had not commented on the issue until the end of last week, when it withdrew three ranges of the products in question from the market, despite having received a first warning from a doctor on January 15.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical and Japanese health authorities are still trying to identify which substance in these dietary supplements could be the cause of the hospitalizations and deaths reported.
The company, based in Osaka, also stated on Friday that it wanted to compensate people who suffered side effects or were hospitalized after taking its supplements.
Source: Ambito
