More time needed for test results on deadly injection: official

An official said here on Wednesday it needs more time to complete the investigation into the antibiotic injection that is suspected of causing six deaths.

Liu Zilin, head of the Provincial Food and Drug Bureau in east China's Anhui Province, said the provincial drug inspection institute began analyzing the injection on July 30 and results are expected in a few days as some of the laboratory tests require two weeks to complete.

Inspectors expect to discover if the injection was produced using proper procedures and if the original ingredients were safe, the official said.

The Ministry of Health on Wednesday demanded that all provincial health departments report cases of adverse reactions to the clindamycin phosphate glucose injection by 4 p.m. each day.

The ministry banned the use of the drug, produced by the Anhui Huayuan Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Co., a subsidiary of the Shanghai Worldbest Co. Ltd., on August 3.

The company produced 3.68 million bottles of the injection since June and sold them to 26 provincial regions. The injection has allegedly killed six and sickened at least 80.

Local health departments have been urged to take emergency control measures, and to supervise the implementation of the ban in every medical institution.

The State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) has also set up a team of experts to investigate the link between the deaths and the antibiotic injection.

Clindamycin phosphate glucose injections are mainly used to treat bacterial infections.