41 Referred to Prosecution for Manufacturing and Selling Unlicensed Pharmaceutical 'Deer Antler Slices'

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Uncovers 27 Manufacturers and Wholesalers
6,400 kg of Deer Antler Slices Worth 4.2 Billion Won Distributed

Four individuals who manufactured and sold deer antler slices, a pharmaceutical product, without obtaining a pharmaceutical manufacturing license, along with 37 others who distributed these products, have been referred to the prosecution on charges of violating the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act.

Deer antler slices stored at the illegal manufacturing site of suspect A. Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on the 16th that it had launched an investigation and apprehended the suspects after receiving information that unlicensed pharmaceutical deer antler slices were being distributed at a traditional market in Seoul.

Authorities conducted surveillance at locations identified as unlicensed pharmaceutical manufacturing sites, monitoring the delivery of raw deer antlers, oxygen, and ethanol needed for production, as well as the shipment of deer antler slices. Subsequently, through search and seizure operations, they confiscated approximately 1,448 kilograms of deer antlers and deer antler slices, manufacturing equipment, and confidential transaction ledgers.

The investigation found that, at three locations including unlicensed manufacturing sites, the suspects produced 7,917 kilograms of deer antler slices from October 11, 2021, to April 17 of this year. Of this, 6,429 kilograms-worth approximately 4.2 billion won-were sold to 27 pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesalers nationwide.

Manufacturers and distributors A and B were found to have equipped unsanitary locations, where pharmaceutical manufacturing licenses cannot be granted, with facilities such as gas cylinders (LPG, O2), torches, injection machines, cutters, drying racks, and air blow dryers needed to produce deer antler slices. Using deer antlers imported from Russia and New Zealand as raw materials, they manufactured approximately 6,699 kilograms of deer antler slices and sold 5,824 kilograms-worth about 3.85 billion won-to 26 pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesalers.

Manufacturer and distributor C produced approximately 918 kilograms of deer antler slices at a pharmaceutical manufacturing site that had not obtained approval for a change of location and sold about 320 million won worth of these products to pharmaceutical manufacturers and others.

The suspects who distributed the deer antler slices knowingly purchased the unlicensed products because they were cheaper than the market price and sold them to approximately 212 locations nationwide, including Korean medicine clinics and pharmaceutical wholesalers. Notably, eight pharmaceutical manufacturers that purchased the unlicensed deer antler slices repackaged the products in packaging bearing their own company names and distributed and sold them to Korean medicine clinics and pharmaceutical wholesalers nationwide.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated, "Unlicensed deer antler slices are not subject to proper manufacturing and quality control, so their safety cannot be guaranteed," and urged pharmaceutical handlers and consumers to "always purchase and use standardized herbal medicines."