Four people have died from using the fake Armillarisni A injection made by a drug company in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, China's drug regulator said Monday.

A patient receives treatment in a local hospital in Guangzhou, capital city of south's China Guangdong province May 15, 2006. The patient shows symptoms of acute renal failure and has been found to have taken a fake injection produced by a chemical works in Qiqihar,  northeast China's Heilongjiang Provinc. The concerfeit medicine have led to four deaths. [Xinhua]

According to the State Food and Drug Administration, a total of 11 people have fallen victim to the fake drug made by the Qiqihar No. 2 Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd.

Six of the victims are still hospitalized and the other one has recovered, said Zhang Jixiang, spokesman for the administration.

The drug company has been forced to shut down, Zhang said. "All drugs made by the Qiqihar No. 2 Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd. have been banned from sales nationwide."

According to Zhang, the company purchased one ton of "propylene glycol" from a drug dealer named Wang Guiping in September 2005 as auxiliary material for producing Armillarisni A injection.

The "propylene glycol" is actually diglycol, which causes acute kidney failure if taken by humans. Unfortunately, quality inspectors failed to find the problem.

By using the fake auxiliary material or diglycol, the company produced the injection, mainly for treating acute or chronic cholecystitis and chronic and atrophic gastritis.

Drug authorities in South China's Guangdong Province reported on May 3 that patients using the injection had developed acute kidney failure symptoms.

After receiving the report, the State Food and Drug Administration immediately ordered the distribution and use of the drug be brought under control and an investigation start right away, said Zhang.

The police have detained the suspect Wang Guiping and put other people involved in the case under control.