The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a nationwide alert over the circulation of counterfeit cancer medications, including Avastin and Tecentriq, across Nigeria.
The agency disclosed that the fake products infiltrated the pharmaceutical supply chain following complaints from healthcare professionals and reports by Roche Nigeria.
According to NAFDAC, investigations revealed that the counterfeit drugs were often sold at unusually low prices and exhibited warning signs such as invalid batch numbers, substandard packaging and labelling errors. Some patients were also reported to have presented suspected fake medicines at hospitals, heightening concerns over patient safety.
The agency warned that such counterfeit drugs may either lack the required active ingredients or contain harmful substances, posing serious risks including treatment failure, deterioration of health conditions and possible death. Although no physical samples were obtained for laboratory analysis, NAFDAC said evidence from images submitted confirmed cases of counterfeiting.
In response, the agency has directed intensified surveillance across the country and urged healthcare providers, distributors and the general public to procure medicines only from licensed and verified sources.
NAFDAC also called on Nigerians to promptly report any suspected counterfeit or substandard drugs through its offices nationwide, via its toll-free hotline (0800-162-3322), or by email at sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng.
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