China on Thursday banned the weight loss drug fenfluramine hydrochloride, citing adverse effects on humans.

China will stop the production, sale and use of the substance, in both material and product form, and revoke its approval, Yan Jiangying, spokeswoman with the State Food and Drug Administration, told a press conference.

The change took effect on Wednesday, she said.

Side-effects monitoring found the drug could harm the heart and pulmonary arteries and lead to bloody urine and nausea, Yan said. She said the risks outweighed the benefits it could bring.

She added that producers must recall their products and those who have bought the drug can ask for a refund from hospitals or drugstores.

The drug was banned in the United States and some European countries as early as 2000, according to Yan.

(Xinhua News Agency January 8, 2009)