China's FDA warns of on-line sales of fake cancer drug

China's drug administration on Wednesday warned consumers not to purchase illegally imported cancer drugs online, as most of the drugs are fake, reports the state news agency Xinhau.

A circular issued by China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) said the authority found that Iressa (gefitinib, originated and marketed by AstraZeneca and used for the treatment of breast, lung and other cancers) and some other cancer drugs that were claimed to be imported from India were being sold on-line at a price about one-tenth that of legal drugs of the same kind.

The administration investigated these cases and found that the drugs were not licensed by the CFDA and most of these products were fake drugs produced in China at illegal sites, the circular said.