Drug safety agency revokes permit for Medytox's botulinum toxin products
Yonhap
South Korea's drug safety watchdog said Thursday it will revoke the permit of the country's first botulinum toxin products by Medytox as the products were made using an unapproved ingredient and the company fabricated related documents.
The three Meditoxin products ― which come in bottles of 50 units, 100 units and 150 units ― will be permanently removed from domestic shelves starting on June 25, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
The ministry also ordered Medytox to recall the three products, urging local hospitals to participate in the action.
The decision comes after Medytox, the country's leading producer of botulinum toxin products, won the first license for the production of botulinum toxin in 2006.
Meditoxin is a clostridium botulinum toxin effective in treating various muscle spasms, overactive muscle diseases and facial wrinkles.
The ministry said Medytox used unauthorized ingredients and faked test results before submitting them to the agency to manufacture and sell Meditoxin in the local market.
The investigation showed that the pharmaceutical company repeatedly committed such illegal acts between 2012 and 2015, according to the agency.
Medytox, which earns more than 40 percent of its revenue from its Meditoxin products, has not yet released comments. (Yonhap)