There has been a nationwide scarcity of counterfeit Avastin vials 400 mg/16 ml, so the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a warning and ordered its zonal directors and state coordinators to step up their monitoring efforts.
The contaminated product was identified as Avastin vials 400 mg/16 ml by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland, by Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany, according to a statement released by the agency.
The counterfeit goods are identified by the agency as having the batch codes K1830T71 and H0375B01. Products with a manufacturing date of 04/2025 and an expiration date of 02/2025 have different dates of validity: 05/2028 and 12/2027, respectively.
A quick response has been announced by NAFDAC: all state coordinators and zonal directors have been ordered to increase their monitoring efforts and find and remove any counterfeit products from their respective supply chains.
The agency issued a warning to everyone involved in the supply chain, including shops, healthcare providers, patients, and carers, urging them to be on the lookout for the counterfeit medicine.
“People involved in the supply chain, including importers, distributors, retailers, healthcare professionals, and carers, should be very careful and vigilant to prevent the entry, sale, distribution, and use of counterfeit products,” the statement warned.
Licensed and authorised vendors are the only sources for medical supplies. The agency emphasised the need of thoroughly examining the products for signs of counterfeiting and their overall condition.
Anyone who works in healthcare or has reason to believe a patient has received a counterfeit or substandard medication should report it.
“If you suspect the sale of substandard or falsified medicines or medical devices, it is advised that healthcare professionals and consumers report this to the nearest NAFDAC office,” the statement read.
Healthcare providers and individuals are encouraged by the government to report any side effects associated with medication or medical device use.
In a same vein, the statement reminded healthcare providers and patients to notify the local NAFDAC office of any adverse events or side effects associated with the use of pharmaceutical items or devices.
The organization also promised to notify the worldwide health monitoring system of the warning.
Another important point to keep in mind is that this warning will be added to the WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring System, as mentioned in the statement.