Illegal sexual enhancement pills laced with a diabetes drug claimed the lives of two more men, one Chinese and the other Malay, authorities said Saturday, dpa reported.
The deaths bring the toll to four in Singapore, said the Health Sciences Authority.
The latest victims, the Chinese in his 20s and the Malay in his 50s, were hospitalized in comas after taking herbal pills containing elevated amounts of the prescription drug glibenclamide. Both died from infections.
Four brands of potentially lethal pills have surfaced this year in the city-state. Among them are Power 1 Walnut, fake Cialis pills and Santi Bovine Penis Erecting Capsule, The Straits Times said.
The deaths followed those of two middle-aged men earlier this year.
In the last three weeks, the HSA said that five more men have developed dangerously low blood sugar levels after taking such pills, and 17 others are suspected of doing so.
The total number of confirmed cases since January stands at 40 and suspected cases at 87, the published data said. All were men aged 21 to 98.
The HSA has put up posters in red-light districts to warn of the dangers of fake drugs.
Police have nabbed 12 people since January suspected of selling the pills.