The Facts
The chairman and president of Japanese drug manufacturer Kobayashi Pharmaceutical have stepped down amid an investigation into whether their dietary supplements are linked to hundreds of deaths.
Company Chairman Kazumasa Kobayashi stepped down Tuesday but will stay at the firm as an advisor. His son and president of the company, Akihiro Kobayashi, will also resign but maintain a role to help compensate potential victims.
The Spin
Narrative A
Kobayashi was warned about these side effects two months before recalling its deadly products. While the government's oversight was certainly less than satisfactory, the buck stops with the company distributing millions of these beni koji-filled products to the Japanese people.
Narrative B
Government regulators deserve just as much blame for allowing 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 motivated by profit shouldn't be in charge of policing their product quality.
