Beijing pharmaceutical company fined $18 million for substandard calcium supplement

A pharmaceutical company in Beijing has been fined 134 million yuan ($18 million) and ordered to suspend production for 30 days after its medicinal calcium supplement were found to be substandard, the Beijing Administration for Market Regulation said on Monday.

Beijing Langdi Pharmaceutical was given the punishment because 32 batches of calcium carbonate and vitamin D3 granules and tablets, which had been manufactured by Langdi and another factory it entrusted from February 2021 to November 2022, were found to be substandard in its content of vitamin D3.

Authorities identified the substandard products during a routine check on its retention samples earlier this year. By the time of the check, nearly 1 million packets of the products have been sold. By July 20, more than 54,000 packets of the drugs have been recalled and seized.

After the investigation, the Beijing market regulators issued the punishment, including seizing some 6 million yuan of revenue generated from the sales, giving a fine about 20 times of the revenue, and the production suspension.

In a statement issued in July, the company said that the content of vitamin D3 is prone to be "unstable" due to temperatures and transport conditions, and "won't hurt people's health". It apologized to consumers "for the inconvenience" and pledged to find the problem and rectify accordingly.

Calcium carbonate and vitamin D3 tablets and granules are often used as supplements of calcium for children, women going through pregnancy, lactation or menopause, as well as for seniors to prevent osteoporosis.