The drug management administration of Vietnam on Monday seized 12 brands of medicines including 5 brands imported from India alleging that those are substandard or fake drugs.

The seized medicines contained astemizole, used to treat allergies. Among the 12 medicines, five drugs are imported from India. These are Stemiz, Astelong, Histeese, Histalong, and Histalong Junior etc., allegedly registered to circulate in Vietnam by the Korean Samchundang Pharmaceuticals. The remaining six drugs are being manufactured by Vietnamese Pharmaceutical companies, according to a Vietnamese media report. Astemizole has been banned in India with effective from April 2003 fearing the drug may cause serious cardiac problems. It is used for indications like allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, chronic urticaria and other allergic conditions.

Stemiz is Zydus Cadila's brand name of astemizole. Astelong is astemizole's brand name of Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Histeese (Astemizole) is brand name of Micronova.

The rate of counterfeit medicine in Vietnam was 0.09 per cent of 16,500 medicines examined last year, the highest rate over the past five years (0.03-0.06 per cent in 2001-04), said the report.

Among the checked medicine samples, low-quality products accounted for 3.4 per cent, compared to 2.87 per cent and 3.74 per cent in 2003 and 2004 respectively. Many medicines had no manufacturers and license numbers listed, according to health ministry of Vietnam.

The health ministry said that there is a burgeoning illegal import of herbal medicines by individuals not licensed or authorized to work in the field.

The ministry has guided the drug management administration to tighten management of pharmaceutical manufacturing and sales. According to ministry, more drastic punishments would be imposed on manufacturers/importers found guilty of circulating fake or low-quality medicines that put public health at risk.

The health ministry has asked the drug manufacturers that they must reach the World Health Organization (WHO)-good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards by 2010. By 2010, the per capita spending on pharmaceuticals in Vietnam if forecast to be between US$12-$15 per year, the ministry said.