China cracks down on medical device ad scams

BEIJING - China's food and drug watchdog has blacklisted 18 medical equipment manufacturers for publicizing false information on medical devices.

The State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) on Tuesday said in a statement that the companies exaggerated the benefits of the devices, or disguised actors as medical experts or patients to spread fraudulent information about curative effects, posing severe risks to people's health.

The products include medical equipment to treat lower back and leg pain, diabetes, myopia and high blood pressure.

The names of the manufacturers have been posted on the SFDA website for future supervision.

In the next stage, the CFDA will urge the companies to rectify their deeds and will transfer those in violation of the law to law enforcement agencies for further investigation.