§ Mr. TredinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the ban on certain homoeopathic medicines with particular reference to comfrey podophyllum and secalecornutum. [8206]
77W
§ Mr. MaloneThere is no ban on homoeopathic medicinal products containing comfrey or secalecornutum.
In the case of products containing podophyllum, manufacturers were asked to withdraw these products from the market in 1991. This followed advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Committee on the Review of Medicines that podophyllum appears to have unacceptable toxicity and little evidence of efficacy. The risk-benefit analysis for such products is not considered to be acceptable for use in any strength, for any indications. There was particular concern over the oral use of mutagenic chemicals such as podophyllum even at very low doses.