Man killed by illegal sex pill
A middle-aged Singaporean man has died after consuming an illegal sexual enhancement pill containing high amounts of controlled drugs, the health products regulator said.
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said it was “very concerned” that despite repeated warnings against consumption of the pill, called Power 1 Walnut, the number of people falling ill from the drug was rising.
The victim was a “middle-aged” Singaporean, who fell into a coma in early March after consuming the pill, the authority said in a statement on its website. He succumbed to pneumonia.
Six more men have been taken to hospital after consuming the pill, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 23, it said. There are another 53 suspected cases.
The victims have been diagnosed with symptoms of very low blood sugar, ranging from drowsiness and seizures to loss of consciousness, HSA said.
All the patients are men aged between 21 and 97 years. Most are Singaporeans and the rest are foreign workers, it said.
Tests on Power 1 Walnut revealed it contained high amounts of glibenclamide, a prescription drug for diabetes. It also contains the controlled drug sildenafil — sold as Viagra — which is used to treat erectile dysfunction, the authority said.
HSA added it had seized about 100,000 sexual potency drugs, including more than 3,000 Power 1 Walnut tablets, over the past two months.
Nine people have been arrested for selling the products, the regulator said.
HSA has said the drug is labelled as being manufactured by a firm called Guangzhou Xinkauili Limited Company and is likely to have been illegally brought into Singapore. It claims to contain only natural herbal ingredients.
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said it was “very concerned” that despite repeated warnings against consumption of the pill, called Power 1 Walnut, the number of people falling ill from the drug was rising.
The victim was a “middle-aged” Singaporean, who fell into a coma in early March after consuming the pill, the authority said in a statement on its website. He succumbed to pneumonia.
Six more men have been taken to hospital after consuming the pill, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 23, it said. There are another 53 suspected cases.
The victims have been diagnosed with symptoms of very low blood sugar, ranging from drowsiness and seizures to loss of consciousness, HSA said.
All the patients are men aged between 21 and 97 years. Most are Singaporeans and the rest are foreign workers, it said.
Tests on Power 1 Walnut revealed it contained high amounts of glibenclamide, a prescription drug for diabetes. It also contains the controlled drug sildenafil — sold as Viagra — which is used to treat erectile dysfunction, the authority said.
HSA added it had seized about 100,000 sexual potency drugs, including more than 3,000 Power 1 Walnut tablets, over the past two months.
Nine people have been arrested for selling the products, the regulator said.
HSA has said the drug is labelled as being manufactured by a firm called Guangzhou Xinkauili Limited Company and is likely to have been illegally brought into Singapore. It claims to contain only natural herbal ingredients.