OSAKA, Japan - Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co said on Friday that it is now looking into 76 more deaths linked to the consumption of its red yeast rice dietary supplements.
The company was responding to growing frustration by the government and the public about how slow it has been in releasing information since the first suspected death reported in March.
The Japanese drugmaker said earlier that five people had died after taking the “beni-koji choleste help” supplements, and recalled the products. But on Friday it corrected the figure to four, saying one did not use the supplements.
The health ministry separately said bereaved families had contacted Kobayashi Pharmaceutical about the new cases, and that the ministry will proceed with further analysis.
Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Keizo Takemi said the company has failed to report to the government appropriately.
“It is extremely regrettable. The investigation of fatal cases cannot be left to Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, and the ministry will directly manage it,” Takemi told reporters.
The Osaka-based company said the reason the number of deaths that may be linked to the supplements has significantly increased is because it has taken time to link certain health issues with the consumption of its products.
The drugmaker announced on March 22 that a number of people who had taken the supplements — which is meant to help lower levels of LDL cholesterol, known as “bad” cholesterol — were experiencing kidney-related illnesses.
The company has also said it detected puberulic acid, a natural compound made from blue mold, in the ingredients used to manufacture the supplements and that the rogue substance may have been the cause of the illnesses.
Of the 76 new cases, the causes of death not only include kidney-related diseases but also cancer, cerebral infarction, pneumonia and aortic dissection, according to the company.
The ministry earlier this month inquired whether there were any additional cases of death, according to its officials. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical responded that bereaved families had contacted the company over the deaths of 170 people, of whom it later confirmed 94 had not taken the supplements.
The ministry told the company to make a report by Saturday on how its investigation into the reasons and possible causes for the 76 deaths was going.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical apologised on Friday, saying in a statement, “We have caused the public a great deal of worry.” In response to the comments made by the health minister, the firm said, “We take this very seriously.”
