THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
June 28, 2024 at 19:09 JST
A Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. plant in Osaka’s Yodogawa Ward on March 30. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
An additional 76 deaths appear to be linked to dietary supplements manufactured by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., the health ministry announced June 28.
The latest ministry figure brings the suspected death toll from the health scandal that surfaced late last year to 81.
It said Kobayashi Pharmaceutical is investigating a causal relationship for the 76 cases.
The company had previously announced that it suspected only five deaths were related to the supplements.
Health Minister Keizo Takemi said at a news conference that the company had been asked to confirm the number of related deaths but it did not report the latest figure to the ministry until recently.
“It is extremely regrettable,” he said.
A study by the Japanese Society of Nephrology found that many people who complained of health problems after taking the supplements displayed symptoms or tested positive for Fanconi syndrome, a kidney disorder caused by damage to the renal tubules.
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