Since 1992 chronic renal failures have been detected in women that have absorbed pills containing chinese herbs extracts. The more fortunate of them underwent kidney transplant surgery, others survive thanks to hemodialysis, a third category either suffers from urinal cancer or either are deceased. Commercialized by Arkopharma (e.g. Health From The Sun) asiatitrat pills - which contained those extracts - were absorbed in the early 90's by 2,000 to 3,000 women in France and even more in Belgium where 1 million pills were sold. To date criminal proceedings against Max Rombi - Arkopharma's founder and ex-CEO - are ongoing since 1994. Max Rombi is pursued for homicides, injuries, frauds and misleading advertising. In October 2005 Max Rombi has been found guilty and sentenced to serve two years in jail and pay 20,000 euros penalty for "unintentional" homicides by Nice (France) correctional court. After fourteen years of procedures in a complete U-turn, on July the 5th of 2006, Max Rombi is acquitted of the charges of "unintentional" injuries by Toulouse (France) correctional court. Max Rombi has appealed both correctional courts sentences. Once more victims are insulted...

The figures shown below relate to known cases which means there are other women whom havng absorbed Arkopharma's asiatitrat pills and having lost their kidneys do not realize the cause of their renal failure. The purpose of this blog is to bring to public knowledge a problem that concerns us all and wherein an unscrupulous individual veterinary improvising himself as an expert in chinese medecine sold pills through the company he founded regardless of public health and safety standards...

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Pills to lose weight containing plants not traditionnally used for weight-loss purposes

Asiatitrat pills were supposed to contain Han Fang Ji (Stephania Tetrandra) for its hypothetical "weight-loss" effects. Hang Fang Ji (Stephania Tetrandra) was substituted with Guang Fang Ji (Aristolochia Fang Ji). Now according to the article "Aristolochia and Your Health" available at Louisville Traditional Chinese Medicine website, Han Fang Ji (Stephania tetrandra) is not traditionally used, alone or in combination, for the purpose of weight loss. The author also says (...)Guang Fang Ji (Aristolochia fangji) is never a traditional nor an appropriate choice for purposes of weight loss.(...) Furthermore (...)all of the herbs in question belong to the "Drain Dampness" category of Chinese herbs, which are traditionally contraindicated for long-term use. ... Guang Fang Ji (Aristolochia fangji) is the only crude herb commonly encountered in the West containing aristolochic acid, and distributors have voluntarily removed this herb from their catalogs. (...) [BTW the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has identified aristolochic acid as a carcinogenic agent] In other words Han Fang Ji (Stephania Tetrandra) and Guang Fang Ji (Aristolochia Fang Ji) are not traditionally used, alone or in combination, for the purpose of weight loss in traditional chinese medicine. This didn't prevent Max Rombi - Arkopharma's ex-CEO and founder - from importing these herbs which effects were and are still known at least in their country of origin exploiting a juridic void in the french law. The article also refers to other "ingredients" such as amphetamines, laxatives, diuretics and tranquilizers involved in preparations. Therefore did asiatitrat pills contain one or more of these compounds which interaction with the chinese herbs extracts...? Were the packages containing Arkopharma's asiatitrat pills properly labelled (ingredients, posology, indications, side-effects, etc.)? That's the less to expect from products officially recognised as drugs in 1986...

posted by ML at 9:30 PM 0 comments

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