Fake cancer drugs reappear in Vietnamese market
Fake drugs for cancer, diabetes, blood pressure, stomach pain, and eye drops are now on sale in the Vietnamese market, causing unpredictable dangers to patients, warned the Drug Administration of Vietnam.
The warning was issued after police in Hanoi's Thach That district discovered batches of fake drugs or those suspected of being fake with unknown origin.
"Counterfeit drugs pose unpredictable dangers. They do not provide efficient treatment and can make problems worse. Patients can miss the golden time to treat their illnesses, which can be life-threatening," said the agency.
The genuine eye drop bottle (left) and the counterfeit one. Photo courtesy of the Drug Administration of Vietnam.
The administration urged dealers and patients to learn how to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit drugs, and report any cases of fake drugs.
"Competent forces must enhance coordination to inspect the market and trace the origins of counterfeit products," it said.
In 2022, the Hanoi People's Court handed down sentences to defendants in a shocking counterfeit drug trading case at the Vietnam Pharma Joint Stock Company (VN Pharma).
According to the court, from 2008-2010, Le Xuan Khang, a Vietnamese citizen of Canadian nationality, along with Nguyen Minh Hung, board chairman and general director of VN Pharma, forged documents on drugs labeled Health 2000 Canada, and hired two companies to apply for registration numbers.
Because of "lack of responsibility or personal motives", some officials at the Ministry of Health's Drug Administration of Vietnam committed violations during the approval and appraisal process.
As a result, seven counterfeit medicines labeled Health 2000 Canada were granted registration numbers, while many new drugs have been traded and imported via fake contracts, annexes and invoices.
As many as 838,100 boxes of drugs had their price raised from more than $1.2 million when imported to more than $2.5 million. Of which, more than 600,000 boxes of counterfeit drugs were sold by VN Pharma to businesses, hospitals and pharmacies, illicitly earning the firm more than VND31.5 billion ($1.36 million).
In the case, Khang reached agreements to sell six counterfeit medicines labeled Health 2000 Canada to five domestic enterprises through 36 contracts. The total amount was nearly 1.6 million boxes, worth $4.6 million. Khang remains on the run.
Nguyen Minh Hung received an additional 18 years in prison for the crime of "trading in counterfeit goods as medical drugs". Combined with a 17-year prison sentence in the counterfeit drug case of VN Pharma phase 1, the defendant must serve 30 years in prison, the highest duration for a fixed-term penalty.
- Read More
Real estate major Novaland wins key approval for $5 bln project in central Vietnam
Novaland Group (HoSE: NVL), one of Vietnam’s leading property developers, has received investment approval for its flagship project worth $5 billion in the central province of Lam Dong after years of delay due to legal obstacles.
Real Estate - Wed, October 22, 2025 | 4:20 pm GMT+7
Vietnam's plastics heavyweights Tien Phong, Binh Minh report profit surges
Tien Phong Plastic (HNX: NTP) recorded pre-tax profit of nearly VND949 billion ($36.04 million) in the first nine months of the year, exceeding its full-year target by 10.85%, while Binh Minh Plastic (HoSE: BMP) achieved record net profit of VND350 billion ($13.29 million) in Q3, surpassing its VND330 billion milestone set in the previous quarter.
Companies - Wed, October 22, 2025 | 4:17 pm GMT+7
Vietnam, Finland firms sign multiple MoUs on satellite, cybersecurity, aviation partnerships
A series of cooperation agreements were signed between Vietnam and Finland on Tuesday, within the framework of Party chief To Lam's official visit to Helsinki, while bilateral relationship was lifted to a "strategic partnership".
Economy - Wed, October 22, 2025 | 12:43 pm GMT+7
Trung Nam Ca Na seeks to convert agri-forest land for $147 mln industrial park in central Vietnam
Industrial park developer Trung Nam Ca Na is seeking approval to convert about 170 hectares of agricultural and forest land for the construction of a VND3,875 billion ($147 million) project in Vietnam’s central coastal province of Khanh Hoa.
Industrial real estate - Wed, October 22, 2025 | 10:54 am GMT+7
PV Power's arm posts 5-fold jump in Q3 profit on margin recovery
PetroVietnam Power Nhon Trach 2 JSC (HoSE: NT2) reported a sharp rebound in third-quarter earnings as improved margins and higher revenue lifted profits nearly fivefold from a year earlier.
Companies - Wed, October 22, 2025 | 8:37 am GMT+7
TCBS overtakes SSI to become Vietnam’s largest securities company by market cap
Over 2.3 billion shares of Techcom Securities JSC (TCBS) debuted on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HoSE) on Tuesday. The stock, TCX, recorded the highest price and the largest market capitalization in the Vietnamese securities sector.
Finance - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 10:27 pm GMT+7
Indonesia’s palm oil industry becomes investment magnet
Indonesia’s palm oil sector attracted IDR52.7 trillion, or approximately $3.2 billion, in investment during the first nine months of this year, with the money going into enabling the country to capture more value out of its top commodity, the country’s Ministry of Investment reported.
Southeast Asia - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 9:34 pm GMT+7
Indonesia reports strong job, investment growth
The Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs reported strong job and investment growth during the first year of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, compared with the first year under his predecessor.
Southeast Asia - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 9:29 pm GMT+7
Singapore grants conditional approval for 1GW low-carbon power import from Malaysia
Singapore has granted conditional approval to import 1 GW of low-carbon electricity from the Malaysian state of Sarawak, marking a new phase in the energy partnership between the two countries.
Southeast Asia - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 9:26 pm GMT+7
Margin lending in Vietnam’s stock market hits record, but not worrisome
Despite margin debt in Vietnam’s stock market surging sharply, experts believe that current margin pressure is not yet a major concern as top securities firms have significantly strengthened their capital buffers.
Finance - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 4:23 pm GMT+7
Lenders in Vietnam now in low-rate lending race: ACB exec
The biggest “headache” for banks in Vietnam now is that profit margins are getting thinner, said CEO of Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) Tu Tien Phat.
Banking & Finance - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 4:00 pm GMT+7
PV Gas - 35 years of innovation and technological leadership in Vietnam’s gas industry
Over the past 35 years of establishment and development (1990-2025), PV Gas, a subsidiary of state-owned giant Petrovietnam, has affirmed its pioneering position in Vietnam’s gas industry, marked by a series of groundbreaking achievements in science and technology.
Companies - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 3:45 pm GMT+7
Vietnam's consumer finance major F88 achieves 90% of year's profit target after 9 months
F88 Investment JSC (F88), a leading consumer finance company in Vietnam, reported a cumulative pre-tax profit of VND603 billion ($22.88 million) in the first nine months of 2025, a 2.5-fold increase year-on-year, reaching 90% of its full-year target of VND673 billion.
Companies - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 3:15 pm GMT+7
Vietnam corporate earnings to be driven by credit expansion, trading activity, property recovery
With Q3 earnings season underway, results are expected to come in broadly in line with expectations. Financials should remain the largest contributors, benefiting from credit expansion and trading activity, while real estate continues to recover as project launches and sales rates improve, writes Tung Dang, associate director at Dragon Capital.
Economy - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 2:33 pm GMT+7
Inland port opens in southern Vietnam province Tay Ninh, set to become border logistics hub
The 16.5-hectare Tan Cang-Moc Bai inland port in Tay Ninh province, southern Vietnam has been opened, offering logistics services and handling customs clearance for imports and exports.
Infrastructure - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 12:03 pm GMT+7
State-managed property trading centers will help curb speculation, price manipulation: expert
Establishment of state-managed real estate trading centers is expected to create a transparent transaction channel, helping control and limit speculation and price manipulation in the Vietnamese market.
Real Estate - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 8:37 am GMT+7






















