China halts sale of Sun Pharma drug used to treat dementia

Reuters

China halts sale of Sun Pharma drug used to treat dementia

A man speaks on his phone next to the logo of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., in Mumbai, India, October 31, 2025. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas · Reuters

Reuters

Mon, January 26, 2026 at 10:33 PM EST

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SHANGHAI, Jan 27 (Reuters) - China's medicine regulator has ordered a halt to ​the import, sale and usage of ‌a drug used to treat dementia associated with ‌Alzheimer's disease made by India's Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, according to an announcement posted on Monday.

The National Medical Products Administration said ⁠a recent ‌remote inspection found shortcomings in the company's production processes, including in ‍the prevention of contamination and the quality management department's fulfillment of duties.

The body banned the ​sale of Sun Pharma's rivastigmine hydrogen ‌tartrate capsules.

A spokesperson for Sun Pharma, India's largest drugmaker by revenue, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug ⁠Administration issued a warning ​letter to Sun Pharma ​alleging "significant violations" of "current good manufacturing practice" regulations for pharmaceuticals made at ‍the same ⁠production site in India, according to the U.S. regulator's website.

Rivastigmine capsules have ⁠been used as a dementia treatment in China, one ‌study showed.

(Reporting by Andrew Silver; Editing ‌by Thomas Derpinghaus)

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