Clipping Board » Medical Affairs and Administration ─ Medical system, pharmaceuticals, and medical community-related reports
[Liberty Times reporters Zhang Wenchuan, Wu Yuexiu, Lin Xiangmei / Comprehensive Report] Date: 2011/05/26
**After Reductil’s Removal, Market Stirs**
"Reductil," once a top-selling weight-loss drug in Taiwan, was ordered off the shelves in October last year due to containing the banned substance sibutramine. However, the Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office discovered that three other weight-loss drugs containing sibutramine were still circulating in the market. Yesterday, prosecutors and police raided a pharmaceutical factory in Taichung and its affiliated clinics and pharmacies, seizing over 2.46 million illegal weight-loss pills and questioning more than 30 individuals.
Famous weight-loss physician Lin Zhengcheng’s "Mei Mei Pandora Clinic" on Tingzhou Road in Taipei was also searched following reports of prescribing counterfeit and banned drugs. Thirty packs of weight-loss drugs and other evidence were seized for testing. Lin Zhengcheng was brought in for questioning as a witness and later released.
**Lin Zhengcheng: Seized Drugs Were Stock Inventory**
Lin Zhengcheng stated, "The seized weight-loss drugs were all stock inventory; I did not prescribe them to patients." He then went to the Wanhua Police Station as a witness for questioning. The interrogation ended at 8:30 p.m., after which Lin left in a taxi without comment. His lawyer emphasized that the clinic was merely a downstream provider and unaware of the upstream pharmaceutical suppliers, making the clinic a victim in this matter.
**Controversies Persist After Switching to Cosmetic and Weight-Loss Services**
Originally a pediatrician, Lin Zhengcheng shifted his focus to breast enhancement and weight loss about a decade ago, sparking continuous controversies. He was once suspended for three months by the Taipei Medical Disciplinary Committee for using the banned weight-loss ingredient PPA (a central nervous system stimulant). Two years ago, he was fined NT$100,000—the maximum penalty—by the health bureau for discussing the weight-loss situation of legislator Wu Yisheng’s scandal-linked girlfriend, Sun Zhongyu. Six or seven years ago, he made headlines after being kidnapped. In recent years, he has been active in real estate investments, partnering with friends to purchase storefronts in Taichung’s Fengjia shopping district for nearly NT$600 million.
**Used Bronchodilator Injections for Weight Loss**
Lin Zhengcheng is known in medical circles for his bold use of medications. He once employed injectable bronchodilators—legally restricted to treating asthma—for weight loss purposes.
The three weight-loss drugs seized in this operation were "Le Xiao Zhi," "Ning Zhi Ting," and "Ka Ka." Among them, "Le Xiao Zhi" has garnered significant online interest, with some users claiming to lose three kilograms in seven days. However, the sibutramine content in these drugs can cause arrhythmia, abnormal skin sensations, mental disturbances, seizures, and even suicidal depressive reactions, leading to its ban by the Department of Health.
After Reductil’s forced withdrawal last October, the Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office received complaints that another weight-loss drug caused similar adverse effects. Investigators traced the issue to the "Xin Shunde" counterfeit drug ring. Despite the crackdown, banned weight-loss drugs continued flooding the market, with authorities tracing their origin to a Taichung pharmaceutical company.
Yesterday, prosecutors and police conducted simultaneous raids across 14 locations in Taipei City, New Taipei City, Hsinchu County, Taichung City, and Yilan County, later expanding to over 20 sites. The Third Special Police Corps seized over one million weight-loss pills at Wanling Pharmaceutical Technology in Taichung and questioned its owner, Yan Wenxu. The Wanhua Police Branch searched Lin Zhengcheng’s clinic, along with five distributors, two clinics, and one pharmacy.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 110526/ 78/ 2s6zz. html
Investigation into Illegal Weight-Loss Drugs: Renowned Doctor Lin Zhengcheng Searched
**After Reductil’s Removal, Market Stirs**
"Reductil," once a top-selling weight-loss drug in Taiwan, was ordered off the shelves in October last year due to containing the banned substance sibutramine. However, the Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office discovered that three other weight-loss drugs containing sibutramine were still circulating in the market. Yesterday, prosecutors and police raided a pharmaceutical factory in Taichung and its affiliated clinics and pharmacies, seizing over 2.46 million illegal weight-loss pills and questioning more than 30 individuals.
Famous weight-loss physician Lin Zhengcheng’s "Mei Mei Pandora Clinic" on Tingzhou Road in Taipei was also searched following reports of prescribing counterfeit and banned drugs. Thirty packs of weight-loss drugs and other evidence were seized for testing. Lin Zhengcheng was brought in for questioning as a witness and later released.
**Lin Zhengcheng: Seized Drugs Were Stock Inventory**
Lin Zhengcheng stated, "The seized weight-loss drugs were all stock inventory; I did not prescribe them to patients." He then went to the Wanhua Police Station as a witness for questioning. The interrogation ended at 8:30 p.m., after which Lin left in a taxi without comment. His lawyer emphasized that the clinic was merely a downstream provider and unaware of the upstream pharmaceutical suppliers, making the clinic a victim in this matter.
**Controversies Persist After Switching to Cosmetic and Weight-Loss Services**
Originally a pediatrician, Lin Zhengcheng shifted his focus to breast enhancement and weight loss about a decade ago, sparking continuous controversies. He was once suspended for three months by the Taipei Medical Disciplinary Committee for using the banned weight-loss ingredient PPA (a central nervous system stimulant). Two years ago, he was fined NT$100,000—the maximum penalty—by the health bureau for discussing the weight-loss situation of legislator Wu Yisheng’s scandal-linked girlfriend, Sun Zhongyu. Six or seven years ago, he made headlines after being kidnapped. In recent years, he has been active in real estate investments, partnering with friends to purchase storefronts in Taichung’s Fengjia shopping district for nearly NT$600 million.
**Used Bronchodilator Injections for Weight Loss**
Lin Zhengcheng is known in medical circles for his bold use of medications. He once employed injectable bronchodilators—legally restricted to treating asthma—for weight loss purposes.
The three weight-loss drugs seized in this operation were "Le Xiao Zhi," "Ning Zhi Ting," and "Ka Ka." Among them, "Le Xiao Zhi" has garnered significant online interest, with some users claiming to lose three kilograms in seven days. However, the sibutramine content in these drugs can cause arrhythmia, abnormal skin sensations, mental disturbances, seizures, and even suicidal depressive reactions, leading to its ban by the Department of Health.
After Reductil’s forced withdrawal last October, the Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office received complaints that another weight-loss drug caused similar adverse effects. Investigators traced the issue to the "Xin Shunde" counterfeit drug ring. Despite the crackdown, banned weight-loss drugs continued flooding the market, with authorities tracing their origin to a Taichung pharmaceutical company.
Yesterday, prosecutors and police conducted simultaneous raids across 14 locations in Taipei City, New Taipei City, Hsinchu County, Taichung City, and Yilan County, later expanding to over 20 sites. The Third Special Police Corps seized over one million weight-loss pills at Wanling Pharmaceutical Technology in Taichung and questioned its owner, Yan Wenxu. The Wanhua Police Branch searched Lin Zhengcheng’s clinic, along with five distributors, two clinics, and one pharmacy.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 110526/ 78/ 2s6zz. html