The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted Nigerians on a report of confirmed counterfeit of Avastin in the country.

NAFDAC issued the alert to healthcare workers and the public in a circular titled “Public Alert No. 030/2024” and published on its official website on Monday.

It said the Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH) Roche reported that an oncologist from a local hospital raised the suspicion for counterfeited material of Avastin Vials 400 mg/16 ml, batch H0223B08.

“The folding box of the unit did not have a NAFDAC number, which is required for sale in Nigeria. The unit was purchased in Lagos at a lower price compared to prices on NCAP (Nigeria Cancer Access Partnership),” the report read.

“There is no sample available to Roche for investigation, only pictures displaying parts of an Avastin 400 mg/16 mL folding box. No pictures of vial or leaflet are available.

“On investigation, the following were discovered for each product. The genuine product of Avastin Vials 400 mg/16 ml, batch H0223B08, was distributed by Roche to Vietnam (VN) in July 2020 (expired after 10.02.2022).

“The Kaiseraugst/Switzerland Quality Control organization investigated the complaint sample pictures. The displayed complaint sample was compared to retain samples in VN make-up presentation based on the batch number, and to an EFA make-up presentation as the GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) of the folding box belongs to an Avastin 400 mg/16 mL with EFA make-up.”

According to NAFDAC, the folding box (including the Tamper Evident label) does not correspond to genuine Roche Avastin packaging material.

It said the chemical analysis was not possible for both cases, as the physical complaint samples were not available for return. Nevertheless, an examination of the provided images confirmed clear evidence of counterfeit packaging material in both cases.

Avastin is indicated for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma in adults. It is a tumor-starving (anti-angiogenic) therapy.

NAFDAC also warned that the illegal marketing of medicines or counterfeit medicines poses a risk to people’s health because it does not guarantee the safety, quality, and efficacy of the products due to non-compliance with regulatory provisions.