The National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities under the management of the government has confirmed that the cancer treatment medicine H-Capita 500mg is fake, not just low quality.

Nguyen Minh Hung, the former chairman and director of VN Pharma, was sentenced 12 years in prison in the H-Capita scam

According to the conclusion of the HCM City People’s Court, VN Pharma JS Company falsified technical documents for the import of 9,300 boxes of H-Capita 500mg made by Helix Pharmaceuticals Canada.

Nguyen Minh Hung, the former chairman and director of the firm, was sentenced 12 years in prison for the violation; while, seven others were sentenced for between two years of probation and 12 years in prison. 

Speaking at the recent government’s meeting, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Viet Tien said H-Capita 500mg is not the fake medicine but just has low quality as its contaminant content is higher than regulated.

However, in an interview with DTiNews on September 3, Tran Hung, deputy office manager of the National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities said that H-Capita 500mg was totally fake based on criteria outlined in Government Decree 185 issued in 2013 on fines on the production and trading of banned and fake products.

VN Pharma invented the name Helix Pharmaceuticals, which does not exist in Canada as the producer of H-Capita 500mg then it falsified technical documents claiming the medicine had been imported. This showed that the medicine was a complete fake from start to finish, Hung said.

In April 2015, following strict checks, the Ministry of Health’s inspection council found that the medicine included up to 97% capecitabine, a low-quality ingredient not recommended for humans.

Hung noted that the prime minister has instructed the Government Inspectorate and his agency to conduct a joint investigation into the Drug Administration and Vietnam Food Administration for their possible involvement in the case.

Documents vouching for the drug’s quality, including ostensibly Canadian-issued certificates and the signature and stamp of the Vietnamese Embassy in Canada, turned out to be fake.

"H-Capita is a fake medicine, so the trading of it is a crime as medicines directly impacts users’ health,” Hung said.

“We should uncover the truth and strictly deal with the lax management in medicine import licensing. The Ministry of Health needs to be brave to admit its mistakes to regain the public confidence,” Hung said.

Dtinews