Archived - Kang Da

Starting date:

January 5, 2007

Posting date:

January 5, 2007

Type of communication:

Foreign Product Alert (FPA)

Subcategory:

Natural health products

Source of recall:

Health Canada

Issue:

Product Safety, Undeclared Substance

Audience:

General Public

Identification number:

RA-12000123

These products are not authorized for sale in Canada and have not been found in the Canadian marketplace, but it is possible they may have been brought into the country by travellers or purchased over the Internet.

Source of alert

New Zealand's Ministry of Health Medicines Safety Authority, Medsafe

Product name

One product is labelled as Kang Da and four products are unlabelled.

Manufacturer / Place of origin

Unknown / China

Product description

Kang Da is marketed as a sexual enhancement and erectile dysfunction product and comes in a package of two red capsules in a gold-foil blister.

The four unlabelled products come in various forms:

• four red/brown tablets marked "800mg" in a small plastic resealable zip-lock bag;
• bright green capsules in a small plastic zip-lock bag;
• an orange/black capsule in a clear plastic pack with red dots, and
• cream coloured capsules (one or two) in an orange, blue and clear plastic pack.

Reason for warning

On July 21, 2006, the New Zealand Ministry of Health issued a press release on Kang Da and four unlabelled products because these herbal products were adulterated with sildenafil (the generic name for Viagra), which is a prescription medication used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil should only be taken under the guidance of a health care professional.

Possible side effects

Use of sildenafil may lead to serious health risks, especially for patients with existing medical conditions such as heart problems, who are taking heart medications, or who may be at risk for strokes.

Sildenafil has also been associated with serious side effects including sudden vision loss, penile tissue damage and urinary tract infection.

What you should do

Canadians who have this product are advised not to use it, and should consult with a health care professional if they have concerns about their health related to the use of this product.

Health Canada advises Canadians to contact the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate at 1-800-267-96755 if they find the product listed above in the Canadian marketplace.

Background

Drugs and natural health products that are authorized for sale in Canada will have either an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) on the label. These numbers indicate that the products have been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness and quality.

As of the date of this posting, no adverse reactions suspected to be associated with the use of this product have been reported in Canada.

Report a health or safety concern

• Call toll-free at 1-866-234-2345.
• Visit Health Canada's Web page on Adverse Reaction Reporting for information on how to report online, by mail or by fax.

Media enquiries

Health Canada
613-957-2983

Public enquiries

613-957-2991
1-866-225-0709