HONGHE, Yunnan: The ciwujia herbal remedy suspected of causing the deaths of three people in the southwest region failed to meet health standards, the Yunnan provincial authorities have said.

Tests on samples from batches 2007121511 and 2007122721 of "Ciwujia Injection" used in the No 4 People's Hospital of the Honghe Autonomous Prefecture of Hani and Yi Ethnic Groups showed the products to be substandard, said Sun Yuemin, the leader of the team investigating the deaths and a senior doctor with the No 2 Hospital affiliated to Kunming Medical College.

"The herbal remedy was produced by Wandashan Pharmaceutical. It differed in shades of color. Some looked turbid and some rubber caps of the bottles were swollen," he said.