Suspicions have been raised that Medytox distributed samples of Botox product "Meditoxin" to hospitals before it was officially approved by health authorities.
Based on the testimony from a former employee of Medytox, KBS reported on July 10 that Medytox delivered samples of Meditoxin on the clinical trial stage directly to plastic surgeries and dermatologies from 2003 to 2005 and they conducted illegal procedures.
Meditoxin, the country's No. 1 product of Botox, an injection used to improve wrinkles, started production in 2006 after Medytox was licensed as the No. 1 domestic Botox product.
According to the employee's notebooks at the time, the records are very tight from 2003 to 2005 when they were still undergoing clinical trials before the authorization.
There were the names of dermatologists, plastic surgeons and the quantity of the medication. A total of 114 bottles of Meditoxin were supplied to 10 hospitals.
Meditoxin was officially approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in March 2006. Products that have not been verified for stability have been distributed on the market.
Medytox explained that it had sent a small sample to some of the medical staff to see if the drug was effective and that it was not recommended for normal patients to be treated.
It is illegal to distribute drugs at the clinical trial stage before obtaining permission, and treatment with drugs whose safety has not been verified is also subject to punishment.
The MFDS said on July 11 that it will further investigate the allegations raised this time.
