Vietnamese source of fake Molnupiravir in Switzerland still not found
HÀ NỘI Vietnamese authorities have announced that fake Molnupiravir discovered by Swiss Customs could not be traced back to the address in Việt Nam that was printed on the label.
Swiss Customs discovered the fake Molnupiravir medicine had labels that said, "Manufactured by Công ty TNHH, Chi nhanh 1 so 40 dai, P. An Phu, Tx. Thuan An, Tinh Binh Duong, Vietnam," with mixed Vietnamese and English phrases.
Huỳnh Minh Chính, deputy director of the Bình Dương Department of Health, said that after receiving the information, the department launched an investigation, which showed there is no such address in the province.
The counterfeit Molnupiravir 400mg medicine was found in Switzerland in hard capsules, with 20 tablets per bottle.
The inspectors worked with two pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in the Việt Nam-singapore I Industrial Park in An Phú Ward, Thuận An City, according to the health ministry yesterday.
They are the Stellapharm Joint Venture Co. Ltd., Branch 1 at No 40 Tự Do Highway and the Boston Việt Nam Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company at No 43, Road 8.
Inspection showed that both companies had enough legal documents related to their production and trading following regulations, including investment certificate, certificate of branch operation registration, certificate of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), certificate of eligibility for pharmacy business, pharmacy practice certificate of the person in charge of the company’s pharmacy expertise, certificate of eligibility for safety food and other necessary papers.
Regarding packaging, the two companies only produce Molnupiravir Stella 400mg and Mohnupiravir 400mg. Each box contains two blisters, each blister has 10 capsules. They do not have products with a packing of 20 hard capsules as found by the Swiss Customs.
The Department of Health of Bình Dương Province will work with concerned organisations to continue searching for the fake medicine’s origin. If discovering any violation, it will transfer to competent organisations for punishment.
The case was also transferred to the police for further investigation.
On May 5, the Drug Administration of Việt Nam, under the Ministry of Health, received a notice from the World Health Organisation about the fake Molnupiravir , which was discovered in Switzerland.
Its labels, printed in Vietnamese, said a company in Bình Dương Province produced the drug.
Laboratory testing in Switzerland said that the drug did not contain the active ingredients.
The medicine is an antiviral COVID-19 treatment drug.