Fake eye drug affects over 60 Chinese

BEIJING - At least 61 people suffered from allergic reactions after being administered fake eye drops at a hospital in Shanghai, officials said Thursday. The victims were, however, not blinded.

The State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) said Thursday 116 patients were given the medicine Sep 6 and 8 at the Shanghai No.1 People’s Hospital, and 61 of them suffered from side-effects, including pain, red eyes and unclear vision.

The medicine turned out to be a fake version of Avastin injections, which are given for macular degeneration, a medical condition that affects the light-sensitive cells of the retina present at the back of the eye.

After the incident, Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche and the SFDA carried out an investigation into the drug used in the incident. The examination found that the drug labelled as Avastin was fake, China Daily reported.

All departments and individuals responsible for the purchase of the fake drug will be severely punished, the SFDA said.

The drug Avastin received approval from authorities in February this year for use in the treatment of colorectal cancer, but has not yet been approved for use in the treatment of eye diseases.

Meanwhile, the hospital has said most of the patients who suffered from reactions have recovered and 10 of them have been discharged.