Supplement pill that contained mold recalled after 2 deaths, over 100 hospitalizations in Japan
CBSMAR 14 2024
The chairman and president of Japanese drug manufacturer Kobayashi Pharmaceutical have stepped down amid an invstigation into whether their dietary supplements potentially linked to hundreds of deaths.
Company Chairman Kazumasa Kobayashi stepped down Tuesday as chairman and board member, but will stay at the firm as an advisor. His son, Akihiro Kobayashi, will step down as president but remain to help compensate the victims.
The cholesterol-lowering diet pills are made from red yeast rice called beni koji, which has been proven to lower cholesterol but also connected to organ damage. Reports of kidney failure in those who took the supplement emerged in February and March.
While Kobayashi deserves immense scrutiny surrounding this issue, the government's regulatory system also played a major role in allowing so many dangerous products to hit the market. These supplements aren't regulated as medicine, and when customers report adverse effects, there are no required independent third-parties to investigate. Companies with profit motive should not be in charge of policing their product quality.