Taiwan has ordered pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline to recall an antibiotic used to treat infections in children for containing a chemical additive, a report said Saturday. The Department of Health was prompted to order the recall of Augmentin antibiotic syrup produced following a similar move in Hong Kong, said the TVBS cable news channel.
Health authorities earlier this week recommended local hospitals to stop prescribing Augmentin after traces of a plasticiser known as Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) were found in the drug, it said. Kong ordered a recall on Friday after tests revealed that Augmentin produced by the British firm's French factory contained an unsafe level of DIDP.
The drugs maker is the latest company to become embroiled in a scare over plasticisers - chemicals used to make plastic pliable - with Hong Kong recently banning several Taiwanese drinks after tests showed they were tainted with excessive amounts of another plasticiser. Taiwan has issued a major recall of products, including nearly half a million bottles of sports drinks and fruit juice, over fears they contained the chemical DEHP, which can cause hormone malfunctions in children.
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