Key facts
- Authorities seized 20 vials of Elravie Re2O, a South Korean product.
- The product claims to contain purified human skin from deceased donors.
- A 38-year-old woman was arrested in connection with the seizures.
- The Department of Health cited a lack of clinical safety data and potential public health risks.
- The product is subject to the Human Organ Transplant Ordinance and Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance.
Hong Kong authorities have seized unregistered injectable products that claim to contain human tissue, popularly dubbed 'corpse-skin injections,' amid growing interest in the anti-ageing treatment. The Department of Health revealed it had seized over 170 vials of suspected Part 1 poisons or unregistered pharmaceutical products following raids on four beauty premises in Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok, Tsuen Wan and Yuen Long since last Friday. Twenty vials of a South Korean product called Elravie Re2O, which purportedly contains purified human skin from deceased donors, were taken during a raid on a premise in Mong Kok. The Department of Health stated that the product concerned lacks clinical safety data and poses potential public health risks. It is classified as a regulated product under the Human Organ Transplant Ordinance and also a pharmaceutical product under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance. A 38-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possessing unregistered pharmaceutical products and suspected unlawful commercial dealing in human organs. While the health department has received an application for exemption for Elravie Re2O, it is still being processed and no exemption has been granted. The Federation of Beauty Industry (HK) has flagged potential safety and ethical issues if the tissue is commercialized from donated human remains.