The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), proposes to recall a massage oil ‘Misa Bear’ from the market as it contains bile extracted from bears which are currently an endangered species.
The massage oil is produced by the Quang Minh Mekophar Company. CITES has sent a dispatch to the Vietnam Drug Administration to ban the oil as the company is using bear bile in the oil, extracted from two species of bears that are the rarest members of the bear family and among the world’s most threatened animals as quoted in CITES Appendix I.
Trade, sale and slaughter of the species or using its products are subject to strict regulations by ratifying parties and trade for commercial purposes is banned. CITES has on this basis suggested to pharmaceutical authorities to recall the product from the market.
In related news, the Department of Health in Hanoi has decided to halt sale of three antibiotics that failed to meet safety requirements.
The Pharmaceutical Company No.3, Joint-stock Pharmaceutical Company Pharm and National Pharmaceutical One Member Company No.2 are the manufacturers and importers of these drugs. The three drugs are Ficaoxime (injection), produced by India’s Delhi Pharma, Cenpro tablets (Ciprofloxacin 500 mg) and Traclor (Cefaclor 250gram), made by local companies.
