Leukemia patient arrested over 'illegal' India medicine imports

A leukemia patient who is suspected of helping fellow patients gain access to cheaper foreign drugs has been arrested in Beijing, for failing to appear in court.

46-year-old Lu Yong was charged with promoting counterfeit drugs and credit card fraud in July by prosecutors in Yuanjiang, Hunan Province. He was then required to appear in court in November 2014 when he was under medical treatment in Shanghai.

Over 300 leukemia patients reportedly signed a joint appeal for Lu's exemption from criminal liability in July 2014.

"Lu sought to postpone the hearing, but we received no reply from the court until he was arrested in Beijing where he was scheduled to meet with local media. Lu is being taken back to Yuanjiang to stand trial," Lu's lawyer, Zhang Yupeng told the Global Times.

Lu began to share the Indian-made leukemia drug Veenat to hundreds of fellow patients in 2010 and has helped them buy the drug from India since then.

Lu's wife, Shen Hua, said Lu used another person's credit card to order drugs online from Natco Pharma, the Indian producer of Veenat.

Veenat was believed to be an alternative treatment for Glivec, a leukemia drug produced by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis. The Indian-made drug costs 200 yuan ($32.2), compared with 23,500 yuan each month for the Swiss-made version, which is often prescribed by domestic hospitals.

"Lu was prosecuted with promoting foreign drugs illegally," Luo Jian, a deputy director of the public prosecution department in the Yuanjiang Prefecture prosecutor's office, was quoted by caixin.com. China's Drug Administration Law states that any drug without official approval would be considered counterfeit.

"China has strict control over foreign drugs and whether the drugs are brought in for profit or for medical treatment is crucial to the verdict," Song Zhongqing, a lawyer specializing in medical cases, told the Global Times.

"Lu never made any profit by helping other patients," Shen said.