China's state Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) said Monday much-trumpeted gout-treatment medicine Meke Guzhibao is an unregistered fake drug.

Advertisements touting the drug fraudulently cite renowned medical institutions and carry fabricated statistics, a statement posted on the SFDA website said.

The advertisements were displayed on the website mkgzb.com.

The advertisements also misleadingly refer to German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA.

The SFDA said the advertisements were carried by several newspapers.

(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2010)