Using Saline Solution Fraudulently Posing as "Budesonide" Asthma Treatment, Multiple People Sentenced, with Maximum Sentence of 14 Years

Beijing News (Reporter Chen Lu) — On March 14, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate released typical cases of criminal prosecution for manufacturing and selling counterfeit and substandard goods. Among them, multiple individuals in Anhui Province were prosecuted for producing and selling fake medicines used to treat asthma and other respiratory diseases, which entered clinics, rural health centers, and other medical institutions. They received sentences ranging from 14 years in prison to five months of detention and were fined.

According to the case details, from July 2021 to March 2024, defendant Yi Mouping, seeking illegal profits, conspired with defendants Pang Mouming, Pang Mouxi, and Pang Moubin. Without proper pharmaceutical production or sales licenses, they customized drug packaging from defendant Ma Moucui, used food additives or saline solution as raw materials to prepare “medicinal solutions,” pressed them into five-unit pill bottles, and produced counterfeit drugs “Budesonide Suspension for Inhalation, Pumicort,” which they sold through online channels and courier services at prices ranging from 6 to 9 yuan per unit to defendants Wang Mou, Zhu Mouyi, and Jiang Mouyang (handled separately).

These three individuals then resold the drugs at higher prices via online channels to nine others, including Li Mouqing. The involved medicines ultimately entered clinics, rural health centers, and other medical institutions. By the time of the case’s discovery, Yi Mouping and others had produced and sold over 375,000 units of fake medicines, with sales totaling over 3.3 million yuan. Tests by the Anhui Food and Drug Inspection Institute showed that the seized medicines did not contain the active ingredient budesonide. The Anhui Drug Administration confirmed that these medicines were counterfeit.

The involved “Budesonide Suspension for Inhalation” is mainly used to treat asthma and other respiratory diseases and is widely used for long-term control of asthma, COPD, and similar conditions in both children and adults. The suspects used non-pharmaceutical raw materials such as food additives and saline solution to produce fake medicines in dirty, disorganized factories, which then entered clinics and other medical institutions. Not only do these fake drugs fail to treat illnesses, but they may also worsen conditions by delaying proper treatment or causing bacterial infections, seriously endangering public medication safety and health.

The prosecution found that all sales personnel involved had experience in pharmaceutical agency and sales, and were familiar with drug sales procedures. Despite this, they purchased the involved medicines at low prices from strangers without pharmaceutical sales licenses through online channels, using simple rubber band bindings, and resold them at multiple levels of markup. Some buyers reported quality issues, but sales continued.

From November 1, 2024, to May 22, 2025, the Hefei Railway Transport Procuratorate in Anhui Province filed criminal charges against 22 individuals, including Yi Mouping, for manufacturing and selling fake medicines and selling counterfeit drugs. The Hefei Railway Transport Court issued first-instance verdicts, sentencing Yi Mouping to 14 years in prison and a fine of 3.3 million yuan for manufacturing and selling fake medicines. The other 21 defendants received sentences ranging from 13 years in prison to five months of detention, with fines from 280,000 yuan to 1,000 yuan, some with suspended sentences.

Editor: Liu Mengjie

Proofreader: Zhang Yanjun