The registration numbers of all drugs containing phenylpropanolamine, or PPA, were canceled by the State Drug Administration (SDA) since the composition may cause a series of adverse reactions.

The production and sales of such drugs are now illegal, and the SDA requires all stocks of the drug to be destroyed under the supervision of local drug administrations.

Most PPA-containing drugs are used to treat colds, but it was reported that PPA could induce allergies, hypertension, kidney failure and insomnia because it causes blood vessels to contract.

There was dispute about PPA's potential to cause such adverse reactions and recent research has confirmed the possibility.

Among the PPA-containing drugs now forbidden are Contac and Contac SCF, two of the country's most popular cold remedies.

"Adverse reactions are mainly caused by the specific properties of PPA and the biological condition of patients, which does not infer that the drugs do not meet the quality standards," said Bai Huiliang, director of SDA's safety supervision department, quoted by Saturday's China Daily.

China will promulgate information about symptoms indicating adverse reactions, China Daily reported.