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In addition to the many false allegations about drugs being

Aug. 11, 2017 by Elizabeth Duran

In addition to the many false allegations about drugs being tainted with harmful bacteria and mold, FDA inspectors found that the ingredients had been sold illegally in countries where no U.S. federal inspectors had been stationed, including Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The FDA also found that the safety of many of the medicines that FDA inspectors found as part of their inspection of the manufacturers could be compromised by their poor quality, lack of manufacturing experience, and lack of access to safety information.

In addition, FDA inspectors found that some of the medicines in the recalled batches were contaminated with dangerous ingredients that included:

Cadmium-131, a known carcinogen that can cause cancer, stomach burn, and even death.

Pesticide-based mercury that can cause kidney and liver damage.

But some of the medicines also were contaminated with ingredients that contain toxic ingredients that are harmful.

FDA investigators found that Gilead is already using a facility in China to make anti-inflammatory drugs and a factory in India to make pharmaceuticals used in vaccines and anti-migrain drugs. In an effort to thwart an inspector's investigation, Gilead was also using its manufacturing facility in South Korea to make an ingredient for antibiotics.

As it turns out, the two countries have both been a big source of health risks for FDA inspectors. In Thailand, where FDA inspectors have been on duty since 2002, at least five people died after a manufacturer used a factory in Thailand to make an ingredient to treat asthma. In Malaysia, at least nine people died after two manufacturers used factories in Malaysia to make antibiotic medications. In Canada, inspectors have been stationed in both countries for years, while in the US, they have been stationed since 2003—with the exception of one patient in the late 1990s who died from a virus that came from the same brand of medicines.

Despite all of this, FDA inspectors found that the safety of medicines in this country is extremely poor. In fact, the report found that the United States experienced a 40 percent decrease in the number of deaths from illness and death caused by the use of antibiotics in the US alone.

In other words, while the United States is not the best place for drugs to be tested, the way in which the FDA inspects drugs is just as bad.This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

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