NAFDAC issues alert over counterfeit cancer drugs in Nigeria

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians of counterfeit cancer medicines circulating in the country, including Avastin (bevacizumab) and Tecentriq (atezolizumab).

Avastin is used to treat recurrent glioblastoma in adults, while Tecentriq is prescribed for advanced cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer, extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, liver cancer, and melanoma.

In a public notice, the agency said it had received reports of counterfeit batches following communication from Roche Nigeria.

Many patients reportedly obtained the fake drugs from health facilities at prices significantly below market rates, 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”.

NAFDAC has directed all zonal directors and state coordinators to intensify surveillance and remove the counterfeit products from circulation.

It urged healthcare providers, importers, and patients to source medicines only from authorised suppliers and report suspected falsified drugs via official channels.