2 patients died after Kyrgyzstan illegally tested Kazakhstan-produced anti-TB drug
On the sidelines of the Governmental meeting today, the Minister told mass media that the medication had been produced by JSC Research Center for Anti-Infectious Drugs, a private organization of Kazakhstan.
"As a rule, prior to selling a medication officially, it should undergo various clinical trials for the period of 15-20 days. Earlier, the representatives of this company told that they had presented and tested their anti-TB drug in other countries including Germany. Probably, now we need to check this information. (...) Probably, the point at issue is the interaction between medication-producing company and the organization which agreed to participate in clinical trial," the Minister said.
FS-1 is not sold in Kazakhstan, she added.
Earlier the Prosecutor General's Office of Kyrgyzstan launched a criminal case against the officials of the National Center of Phthisiology and Department of Drug Provision and Medical Equipment of the Kyrgyz Healthcare Ministry upon illegal clinical trial of FS-1 anti-TB drug.
The criminal case was launched as per the articles 304 (abuse of functions) and 315 (forgery) of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic.
As the Prosecutor General's Office found out, the National Center of Phthisiology of the Kyrgyz Healthcare Ministry violated the law "On Pharmaceuticals" and without an appropriate accreditation it signed a contract with Kazakhstan-based JSC Research Center for anti-Infectious Drugs on clinical trial of FS-1.
"Later, the National Center of Phthisiology illegally tested the FS-1 drug on the patients diagnosed with multi-drug resistant pulmonary tuberculosis. 10 out of 54 patients had side-effects. Moreover, two patients died. An investigation into the case has been launched," an official statement reads.