Shares in a Hong Kong distributor of a traditional Chinese cough syrup surged as much as 55 per cent on Monday following a report the product was becoming popular in the US.
Hong Kong local media over the weekend picked up a Wall Street Journal article from Thursday touting the reported benefits of Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, a syrup distributed by Kingworld Medicines Group, sending the company’s share price rocketing on Monday.
The Journal said the popularity of the syrup had grown through word of mouth and that while it could be bought in Chinese pharmacies in the US for $7, it was also sold for as much as $70 online through third parties. However, the newspaper also cautioned that taking herbal supplements could create potential health risks.