‘False advertising’: Lawsuit against Chinese toothpaste sparks debate over traditional medicine
- Pharmaceutical maker is facing legal action amid questions about the efficacy of its secret formula
- Yunnan Baiyao Group traces its roots back to a fabled traditional healer who developed the remedy at the turn of the last century
A toothpaste maker that claimed to channel the healing power of one of China’s most celebrated traditional remedies is being sued for false advertising following claims that the secret to its success lies in its use of modern medication.
The toothpaste is made by a state-owned corporation that takes its name from Yunnan baiyao – a product developed at the turn of the last century using a formula that remains shrouded in secrecy to this day.
The toothpaste, which first hit the market in 2004, touted its use of the remedy as a way of stopping bleeding gums.
However, a post on Weibo that pointed out that the list of ingredients includes tranexamic acid, a drug developed in 1962 to stop excessive blood loss, has ignited a fierce debate about the efficacy of traditional remedies and prompted the lawsuit against the manufacturers.
On Thursday Liu Gao, a lawyer based in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, filed a lawsuit against Yunnan Baiyao Group and a pharmaceutical store where he bought the toothpaste, court documents show.