M'SIAN HEALTH MINISTRY BANS ETUMAX CORP'S MEDICINAL PRODUCTS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry has banned the sale, distribution and consumption of traditional medicine manufactured by Etumax Corporation Sdn Bhd as they were found to contain sibutramine dan sildenafil, which are prohibited items for medicine classed as traditional medicine.

Its Pharmaceutical Services Division senior director Eisah A.Rahman said the
products used the brand names of "Phyto Shape", "Phyto-Hape", "Tongkat Ali
Power,"Tongkat Ali POwer Plus" and "Etumax Eurycoma Active Plus".

She said medicine containing sibutramine and sildenafil can only be
prescribed by a doctor or obtained from pharmacies with a doctor's prescription.

"The public should not use traditional medicine products with Sibutramine as
its use without supervision of a doctor can lead to adverse effects like high
blood pressure and faster heartbeat.

"The use of Sildenafil without a doctor's prescription can lead to low blood
pressure and have serious implications like a heart attack," she said in a
statement here Monday.

As such, she advised anyone with stocks of the products to stop selling,
distributing or consuming them with immediate effect.

Offenders can be charged under of the Drug Control and Cosmetic Regulations
1984 whereby they can be fined a maximum of RM25,000 (US$1=RM3.62) or jailed not
more than
three years or both, if convicted for the first time.

For subsequent offences, offenders can be fined a maximum of RM50,000 or
jailed up to five years or both while offending companies can be fined up to
RM50,000 for the first offence and up to RM100,000 for subsequent offences.

-- BERNAMA