UAE Health Ministry withdraws popular medicine for treating heartburn

UAE Health Ministry withdraws popular medicine for treating heartburn

Dubai: The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) in UAE has issued a decision to withdraw and suspend the registration of all batches of two pharmaceutical products: Proton 40 mg and Proton 20 mg EC tablets. The Proton brand was manufactured by the Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries and Medical Appliances Corporation (SPIMACO), and used to treat heartburn by reducing the amount of acid made in the stomach. The move was based on the warning issued by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority on March 12, 2021. In a circular, the ministry pointed out that the withdrawal of the two products were earlier issued by the Gulf Health Council due to the medicine's "non-bio equivalence to the reference product", which was registered with the Drug Administration at the Ministry of Health. According to MoHAP's decision, the authorised supplier City Medical Store was required to withdraw all lots of the affected products from the UAE market, and all pharmacy managers should discontinue dispensing the products and return them to the supplier. Health care practitioners were also requested to report any side effects resulting from the use of the products, and customers were urged to contact their doctors to receive alternative medication. The Proton