The Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) is investigating a painkilling patch, which has been blamed for 120 deaths in the United States.

Widely used among cancer patients, the Duragesic patch produced by Johnson&Johnson contains fentany1, a painkiller 100 times stronger than common morphine.

Since 1990 when the medication was first put on the market, the deaths of 120 patients have been linked to their use of the medicine, the Xinhua News Agency website reported.

Overdose of the medicine can cause breathing difficulties, drowsiness, loss of normal thought processes and even death through lack of oxygen.

So far, China has no reported deaths linked to the medicine since it was introduced in 1999, an official surnamed Gao from the SFDA was quoted as saying.

Only one case of breathing difficulties linked to Duragesic has been reported and that was several years ago in South China's Guangdong Province.

Xi'an-Jassen Pharmaceutical Ltd, the company that imports medicine into China, said the statistics for bad reactions caused by the medication were not complete and any final judgment should be left to the drug supervision departments, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Experts warned that people should be careful if they take the medicine, which is only available on prescription, and should strictly follow doctor's instructions.

(China Daily July 20, 2005)