Bosses resign at Japan supplement firm probing deaths

The chairman and president of a major Japanese dietary supplement maker announced their resignation on Tuesday, as the company probes 80 deaths potentially linked to tablets meant to lower cholesterol.

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical is at the centre of a health scare linked to its over-the-counter tablets containing red yeast rice, which is fermented with a mould culture.

Medical studies say red yeast rice or "beni koji" can improve cholesterol levels but also warn of a risk of organ damage depending on the ingredient's chemical make-up.

A company statement said president Akihiro Kobayashi and chairman Kazumasa Kobayashi were leaving their posts. Both men belong to the firm's founding family.

The decision was made "to clarify executive responsibility over a series of actions by our company related to the 'beni koji' issue", Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said.

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Red yeast rice has been used in food, alcoholic drinks and folk medicine for centuries around East Asia.

The scandal erupted in March when the company, a household name in Japan, recalled three brands of dietary supplements after customers complained of kidney problems.

It later said it had detected a potentially toxic acid produced by the mould at one of its factories, and the government inspected the firm's facilities.

Last month, the company said it was probing a total of 80 deaths possibly connected to its pills, and investigating whether organs other than kidneys were harmed.

But at the time the government called Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's delay in reporting the number of cases under investigation "extremely regrettable".

On Tuesday, the company's board of directors said in a separate statement that they "pray for the souls of those who died... and offer condolences to the bereaved families".

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The company's new president is Satoshi Yamane, previously head of sustainability policy, the company said.

Outgoing president Akihiro Kobayashi, who has expressed his intention to take responsibility for any harm caused, will remain in an executive role to manage compensation-related matters, it added.

Kobayashi's red yeast rice supplements are regulated under a system created in 2015 under former premier Shinzo Abe.

Some watchdogs have reportedly expressed concerns that the regulation of these products is not sufficiently stringent and that they do not always have the advertised effects.

Source: AFP