Health Canada Issues a Foreign Product Alert

July 6, 2006

Health Canada is advising consumers not to use Fat Rapid Loss Capsules (Xin Yan Zi Pai Mei Zi Jiao Nang), made by Shangxi Fei-Te Biotechnology Inc. in China. Fat Rapid Loss Capsules are marketed as a weight loss product. The capsules are dark blue in colour and contained in silver and blue blister packs.

On June 8, 2006 the Hong Kong Department of Health advised the public not to use this weight loss product because it is adulterated with sibutramine. Sibutramine is a prescription medication used to suppress appetite, and should only be taken under the guidance of a health care professional.

Use of sibutramine may cause serious side effects, including vision problems and increased heart rate and blood pressure. Sibutramine should not be taken with medications that can affect the level of serotonin in the brain, such as antidepressants. No adverse reactions related to this product have been reported through the Canadian Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Program.

These products are not authorized for sale in Canada and have not been found in the Canadian marketplace. However, it is possible these products could be purchased by Canadians travelling abroad or have been brought into Canada through personal importation by travellers or purchased over the Internet.

Canadians who have these products are advised not to use them, and should consult with a health care professional if they have concerns about their health related to the use of these products.

Drugs and natural health products that are authorized for sale in Canada will have either an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) on the label. These numbers indicate that the products have been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness and quality.

Health Canada advises Canadians to contact the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate at 1-800-267-9675 if they find any of the products listed in the table in the Canadian marketplace.

For more information about the information contained in this advisory, please contact Health Canada’s public enquiries line at (613) 957-2991 or toll-free at 1-866-225-0709.

To report a suspected adverse reaction, please visit the MedEffect Adverse Reaction Reporting page.