This alert comes after a doctor from Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) raised concerns when a patient brought in the drug.
Upon looking into it, they found that this batch is very similar to another counterfeit batch, C3809C51, that had been flagged before. NAFDAC mentioned that Roche, the drug's manufacturer, checked out images of the suspected product and confirmed it was indeed counterfeit.
They found several issues, like a batch number that doesn’t exist, incorrect language on the packaging, missing tamper-evidence features, and labels that don’t match the real ones. NAFDAC emphasized that counterfeit medications are a serious threat to public health since they can be both dangerous and ineffective.
The statement reads:
“The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) wishes to inform healthcare providers and the public of a report of a suspected counterfeit Phesgo® 600mg/600mg/10ml, labelled with batch C5290S20.
“The Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH), Roche, received a complaint from a doctor at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH-NSIA) regarding a suspected counterfeit Phesgo® 600mg/600mg, labelled with batch C5290S20.
“The product was reported to have been brought in by a patient for administration. It had not been administered at the time of the report, as it closely matched the previously reported counterfeit batch: C3809C51.
“Although no sample was returned to Roche for investigation, images showing parts of a Phesgo® 600mg/600mg in a 10ml folding box and a labelled vial were provided.
“Roche examined the images and compared them to genuine samples retained for reference.
“The investigation revealed significant discrepancies between the complaint sample pictures and genuine materials, confirming the falsified status of the suspected counterfeit batch of Phesgo® 600mg/600mg.”
The agency is reminding importers, distributors, healthcare workers, and consumers to stay alert and make sure they only get medicines from approved sources.
They also want everyone involved to double-check the authenticity and quality of all medical products before using them.
NAFDAC has instructed its zonal directors and state coordinators to conduct surveillance to take counterfeit drugs off the market.
Healthcare providers and the public are urged to report any suspected fake medicines or negative reactions to medical products through the designated channels.