The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Oct. 16 ordered Medytox to withdraw and dispose of the entire batch of its botulinum toxin Meditoxin produced for exports.

The problematic products were produced on Oct 6, 10 and 19 of 2016 and its expiry date is Oct 5, 11 and 18 this year, respectively. The Korean company did not announce the specific amount that it will withdraw and dispose of.

“We apologize for our customers’ concerns,” announced Medytox on its website on Oct. 17. “We will conduct an investigation for defects in the medicine and will also proceed with the withdrawal process with our partner companies.”

According to the ministry, it recently conducted a sample test on Meditoxin produced at Medytox’s third plant, located in Osong, North Chungcheong Province. It tested whether the strength of the drug solution is appropriate and also checked whether the moisture in the botulinum toxins is within the prescribed standard. The ministry said it found that Medytox’s products for exports do not meet the standards.

According to sources, the test was conducted after a former Medytox employee reported that there are some defects in products.

The products that are produced to be sold in the domestic market met the standards. The ministry added that it will run an additional inspection for Meditoxins sold here as it only tested few samples during its recent test. The result is expected to come out after one to two months.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)