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Archived – Xie Gan Wan
- Starting date:
- October 25, 2007
- Posting date:
- October 25, 2007
- Type of communication:
- Foreign Product Alert (FPA)
- Subcategory:
- Natural health products
- Source of recall:
- Health Canada
- Issue:
- Product Safety, Unauthorized products, Undeclared Substance
- Audience:
- General Public
- Identification number:
- RA-12000263
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
U.K Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
Product name
Xie Gan Wan
Manufacturer / Place of origin
Manufacturer Unknown / Origin Unknown
Product description
Xie Gan Wan is a Proprietary Chinese Medicine with unknown indication for use.
Reason for warning
U.K. regulators warned consumers not to use the health product Xie Gan Wan, after it was found to contain Aristolochia plant species.
Aristolochia refers to a group of plants that contain aristolochic acid, a naturally occurring toxin that has been reported in the medical literature to cause cancer and kidney failure in humans.
Possible side effects
Health risks associated with the use of Aristolochia include cancer and kidney failure.
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 1-800-267-9675 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