Officials investigate medicine made from stolen body parts

Health officials are checking to ensure no New Zealanders have been treated with imported medicine made from stolen and possibly diseased human body parts.

The Therapeutic Goods Association in Australia has been trying to contact patients there who may have been injected with a product made from remains stolen from a New York funeral home.

The urgent investigation follows assurances from the Australian watchdog in March that none of the affected product, called AlloDerm, had been imported into Australia.

Now there is evidence the TGA failed to uncover the truth.

New Zealand's Ministry of Health has said Medsafe is investigating the matter here.

The manufacturer, Lifecell Corporation, innocently received the stolen body parts which were used in AlloDerm, a medicine used to treat skin conditions and in cosmetic surgery.

- NEWSTALK ZB