By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Five companies have been banned from selling hydrolysate medications extracted from placentas, the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said Sunday. They include Hurocen from KwangDong Pharm, Gu Ju Pharm's Lycon and three others. The companies failed to prove the efficacy of the medications through clinical trials for the renewal of their licenses to sell them.
In the past, the products had been allowed here for allegedly improving chronic liver diseases.
Should the companies not turn in clinical trial data by the end of April, they may be banned from selling the medications for good, the KFDA said. Currently, the administration allows the sale of hydrolysate and other liquefied placenta extracts provided they are proven to be safe.
Last year, 11 drug makers were restricted from distributing extracts used for injections due to a lack of clinical data.