Undeclared drugs found in 'herbal Viagra'

High levels of undeclared pharmaceuticals have been discovered in a so-called ‘Herbal Viagra' being sold in many traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) stores in the UK.

The product – called Jia Yi Jian and manufactured by Hu Nan Aimin Pharmaceuticals - was recently seized by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and claimed to contain only herbal ingredients.

However, laboratory analysis revealed the unlicensed product contained up to four times the level of pharmaceuticals found in legally prescribed medicinal products licensed for the treatment of obesity and erectile dysfunction.

Specifically, the product tested contained 68.1mg of sibutramine – the active ingredient in Abbott Laboratories’ weight-loss drug Reductil, and  50.06mg of tadalafil, found in Eli Lilly’s ED treatment Cialis. Sibutramine is only licensed at doses of up to 15mg per tablet, while the maximum dose for tadalafil is 20mg.
 
The undeclared ingredients could cause serious side effects including significant heart and blood pressure problems as well as adversely reacting with other prescription drugs such as those for blood pressure, heart disease and some antidepressants.