The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians about the circulation of counterfeit cancer medicines, Avastin and Tecentriq, in the country.
Avastin (bevacizumab) is used for the treatment of recurrent
glioblastoma in adults.
Tecentriq (atezolizumab) is a prescription immunotherapy
used to treat several advanced cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer
(NSCLC), extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), hepatocellular
carcinoma (liver cancer), and melanoma.
In a public alert, the agency said it is “notifying
healthcare professionals and the public of confirmed counterfeit batches of
Avastin 400mg/16ml (Bevacizumab) and Tecentriq 1200mg/20ml (Atezolizumab)
circulating in Nigeria”.
The alert, according to NAFDAC, followed official
communication from Roche Nigeria, which confirmed several cases of counterfeit
products in Nigeria after receiving complaints from healthcare professionals
across the country.
The agency said in many cases, patients brought suspected
counterfeit products to health facilities, adding that the medicines were sold
at significantly lower prices, ranging from N180,000 to N350,000.
“The Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH) reported receiving
complaints from healthcare professionals across Nigeria,” the alert reads.
“On investigation, the MAH (Roche Nigeria) compared the
complaint samples to the genuine retained samples. The findings have provided
clear evidence of counterfeit packaging material of the reported products.”
The agency listed discrepancies observed during the
investigation, noting that “batch numbers do not correspond to genuine Roche
batches”, alongside “differences in artwork and printing quality”, “wrong
placement of text”, and “incorrect variable data”.
It added that “tamper-evident labels” and serial numbers on
the products were also inconsistent with Roche’s standard system.
NAFDAC identified specific counterfeit batches of Avastin
400mg/16ml with batch numbers H4239A70, H2290A34, and A3508B02, as well as
Tecentriq 1200mg/20ml with batch number B3071A12.
The agency, however, said chemical analysis of the products
could not be carried out as “the investigation depended on packaging
photographs sent by the complainants; no physical samples were available”.
NAFDAC warned that counterfeit oncology medicines “may
contain incorrect or no active ingredients, harmful contaminants, or incorrect
dosage strength”, which could lead to “treatment failure, disease progression,
serious adverse events, or death”.
It said all zonal directors and state coordinators had been
directed to intensify surveillance and “mop up the counterfeit product within
the zones and states”.
NAFDAC also urged importers, distributors, healthcare
professionals and patients to remain vigilant and ensure that medicines are
sourced only from authorised suppliers.
The agency advised the public to report suspected cases of
substandard or falsified medicines through its offices, hotline, or official
reporting platforms.
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