The national drug watchdog has revoked Anhui Huayuan Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Corporation's production license for injections and dismissed the company's top management.

The manufacture of "Xinfu" drugs, which allegedly caused six deaths in the country in July, is banned, spokesman Zhang Jixiang with the State Food and Drug Administration said on Monday.

He said that the "Xinfu" antibiotic injection was of inferior quality. The company's Good Manufacturing Practice Certificate and its production license for "Xinfu" drugs have been revoked.

The Anhui Provincial Food and Drug Bureau will supervise the destruction of all the recalled drugs.

The bureau will seize illegal company funds and impose a fine in line with China's Drug Management Law, Zhang said.

Five management staff including general manager Qiu Zuyi, executive deputy general manager Zhou Cang, deputy general manager Pan Wei, Plant II director Yuan Haiyuan and quality supervisor Cui Tongxin were dismissed for their responsibility in respect to the suspect killer antibiotic.

Another five people including legal representative Sun Ying, production director Liu Jiansong, Plant II vice directors Jia Yibo and Wang Dianlin and technician Chen Ping each were given a "serious demerit", Zhang said.

Director Zhang Guodong and vice director Shang Wenxue of the Food and Drug Bureau of Fuyang City received administrative sanctions.

Zhang said that the "Xinfu" incident had unveiled "glaring problems" among China's drug manufacturers and "deficient supervision" by drug authorities.

(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2006)