Japan: Raid on pharmaceutical companies after deaths caused by cholesterol. Five people are said to have died in Japan after taking a cholesterol-lowering drug, and hundreds need to be treated in hospital.
Now the government is taking action against the manufacturer of the red yeast rice product. Kenji Yamashita, head of the Osaka-based company's production department, apologized, but declined to comment on details of the raid on the factory, which has been closed since December. Last week, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical recalled five products after people were hospitalized with kidney problems.