Press release: Neal’s Yard Remedies stores rapped by medicines regulator

Press release

Date:	06 May 2008
Time:	10:15
Subject:	Malaria Officinalis 30c
Contact:	Press Office 020 7084 3535/3564 or press.office@mhra.gsi.gov.uk Out-of-hours 07770 446 189

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has clamped down on a homeopathic remedy intended to be viewed as a treatment or preventive for malaria sold by the cosmetic chain, Neal’s Yard Remedies. The MHRA has received confirmation from the company that the remedy, Malaria Officinalis 30c, will be removed from sale immediately.

All homeopathic remedies are classed as medicines and require prior authorisation by the MHRA before being placed on the market. The MHRA was concerned that no record of an authorisation had been given for Malaria Officinalis 30c and therefore concluded that it was an offence to sell, supply or to advertise this product which had not been authorised.

David Carter, Head of the Borderline Team at the MHRA said, “This product was clearly intended to be viewed as a treatment or preventive for malaria, which is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease. We regard the promotion of an unauthorised, self-medicating product for such a serious condition to be potentially harmful to public health and misleading. We are pleased that Neal’s Yard Remedies have complied with our request and removed this product from the market.”

Notes to Editor

1. Neal’s Yard Remedies informed the MHRA on 17 April 2008 that they would ask their shops to remove the product from sale.
2. Further information on the regulation of homeopathic medicines can be found in the Homoeopathic medicines section on our website.
3. The MHRA is the government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work, and are acceptably safe. No product is risk-free. Underpinning all our work lie robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits to patients and the public justify the risks. We keep watch over medicines and devices, and take any necessary action to protect the public promptly if there is a problem. We encourage everyone –the public and healthcare professionals as well as the industry – to tell us about any problems with a medicine or medical device, so that we can investigate and take any necessary action. www.mhra.gov.uk