Japan firm’s executives resign amid cholesterol-lowering drug fatalities probe.

TOKYO: The chairman and president of a major Japanese dietary supplement maker announced their resignation on Tuesday, as the company probes 80 deaths potentially linked to tablets meant to lower cholesterol.

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical is at the centre of a health scare linked to its over-the-counter tablets containing red yeast rice, which is fermented with a mould culture.

Medical studies say red yeast rice or “beni koji” can improve cholesterol levels but also warn of a risk of organ damage depending on the ingredient’s chemical make-up.

A company statement said president Akihiro Kobayashi and chairman Kazumasa Kobayashi were leaving their posts. Both men belong to the firm’s founding family.

The decision was made “to clarify executive responsibility over a series of actions by our company related to the ‘beni koji’ issue”, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said.