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Firms accused of selling unsafe diabetic products

The Associated Press
Wednesday October 04, 2000

Misdemeanor charges were filed Tuesday against executives from five companies accused of marketing products for diabetes patients that either contained potentially harmful drugs or failed to accurately measure blood-sugar levels. 

Operators of three of the companies were accused of selling food supplements spiked with prescription drugs used to treat diabetes, including Phenformin, which was banned in the United States because of potential side effects. 

Two other executives and their companies, Los Angeles-based Breen Laboratories and Irenda Corp., were charged in connection with the manufacture of beverages that doctors give to patients in glucose tolerance tests. Prosecutors contend that true blood-sugar levels were masked because the drinks did not have enough glucose in them. 

The defendants were charged in five separate misdemeanor complaints. They include: 

l Henry Chuan Hsue, 46, president of Sino-American Health Products Inc. of Torrance. Hsue and his company each were charged with one count of making false and misleading statements and offering an unadulterated drug for sale. 

Hsue said that his company recalled the product, Zhen Qi Herbal Extract, in February after being notified by authorities that it was spiked with a prescription drug.  

l Clive Stevens, 66, of Blaine, Wash., owner of Chinese Angel Health Products Inc., a company also known as Chinese Herbal Health Products. Stevens, a former partner with Hsue, was charged with two counts each of offering a misbranded drug for sale. 

l Dinh Minh Ta, 43, of Temple City, identified as the operator of Alhambra-based health food distributor Diabetic Capital LLC. Ta was charged with one count each of offering for sale a misbranded drug, offering an adulterated drug, false advertising, offering for sale a falsely advertised good or drug, manufacturing a drug without a license and unlawfully misbranding a drug. 

The product in question, Dianolyn Capsules, were manufactured in China and imported for resale in the United States. 

l Ireneo Dancel Daliva, 54, president of Irenda Corp. Daliva and his company were charged with one count each of offering for sale a misbranded drug and offering for sale an adulterated drug. He also was charged with making false statements. The company’s attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment. 

l James E. Stewart, 59, of Lomita, owner of Breen Laboratories. Stewart and his company were charged with two counts each of offering for sale both a misbranded drug and an adulterated drug and manufacturing a drug without a license.