Japan reports two more deaths from Kobayashi Pharma supplement

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. said on March 28 it has confirmed two more deaths linked to the consumption of its red yeast rice dietary supplements, Report informs referring to Kyodo News.

The products had already been implicated in two other deaths from kidney-related conditions and over 100 hospitalizations, according to the health ministry, which conducted a hearing with the Osaka-based company.

The ministry suspects a toxic substance is present in the products but the company is so far unable to ascertain a specific cause.

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said last Friday it had received reports of illnesses linked to its products and voluntarily recalled five of them, including about 300,000 packages of its "beni-koji choleste help" supplements.