THE GUARDIAN
In the last few months, some unscrupulous elements have intensified their illegal operations across the country, freely circulating fake and substandard drugs as well as unwholesome food and drinks. This fraudulent practice, exacerbated by the current economic downturn in the country, is putting the lives of many Nigerians on the line while the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) – the agency saddled with the responsibility of regulating and controlling importation, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs and other related products – appears helpless. Assistant Features Editor, The Guardian Weekend, GBENGA AKINFENWA, captures the concerns of experts on the effects of fake drugs and food on the health of innocent consumers.
With the current economic downturn that is forcing many to seek cheaper alternatives to what they consume for survival, many innocent Nigerians now face the risk of contacting life threatening ailments as fake drugs and unwholesome foods and other consumables are flooding the markets.
Fake drugs or substandard medical products are counterfeit medications either produced at below the standard quality or sold as proxies for authentic and effective pharmaceutical brands.
According to the World Health Organisation(WHO), fake drugs are often packaged by unskilled and unauthorised individuals in unregulated facilities and mostly supplied to low-income countries with weak drug regulations.
Over the years, the counterfeit pharmaceutical industry has been thriving in Nigeria. Law enforcement agencies are battling to clamp down on foreign-linked criminal syndicates.
Holed up in small warehouses in cities across West Africa, there are people in the business of repackaging pharmaceuticals. They may also be busy tampering with expiry dates or manufacturing goods from scratch. Sometimes, these clandestine make-shift laboratories are raided by law enforcement agencies and their fake products are destroyed but it does not take long for them to pop up elsewhere.
The Guardian gathered that Nigeria has practically become a fertile ground for counterfeit and substandard medical and other edible products. This situation, though not new in the country, has become more prevalent in the last few months, especially as many Nigerians now rely on cheap products, which are often substandard or counterfeit.
Investigations revealed that while many of these items were detected and mopped up, others have found their way into shops, malls, pharmacies and homes where they have been consumed. And in the last six months, NAFDAC has continued to raise the alarm on existence of fake substances and consumables, describing them as substandard, fake and unwholesome.
For instance, on June 27, 2024, NAFDAC issued a statement announcing the circulation of fake Ginny non-dairy creamer milk in the country. The agency said the product was widely distributed and sold across the country, particularly, in the northern part, due to its high demand. NAFDAC said the genuine Ginny Creamer was imported by Satnam Investment Nigeria Ltd, whose office is at Desiree Plaza 2, Sheraton Road, Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos, while the fake was allegedly manufactured by Oki General Trading Llc, Dubai, U.A.E.
Also, on August 6, 2024, the agency informed healthcare providers and the public of a report confirming the presence of counterfeited Perjeta in Nigeria. The Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH) Roche received a complaint from a pharmacist reporting two units of suspected counterfeit Roche products, Perjeta 420 mg/14mL.
NAFDAC declared that the chemical analysis of the product was not possible. The physical complaint sample was not available for return. “Nevertheless, the investigation of the provided pictures revealed clear evidence of counterfeit packaging material.
“Perjeta 420mg Injection is used to treat breast cancer when other medicines have failed to show significant improvement. It helps to stop cancer growth and further spread and relieves the symptoms of breast cancer such as breast lumps, bloody discharge from the nipple, or changes in the shape or texture of the breast.
“All NAFDAC zonal directors and state coordinators have been directed to carry out surveillance and mop up the counterfeit product within the zones and states,” the agency said.
Also, on November 21, 2024, NAFDAC announced the circulation of counterfeit Combiart Dispersible Tablet 20/120mg in the country. The product, manufactured by India-based Strides Arcolab Limited, was discovered in the FCT, Abuja and Rivers State during surveillance activities conducted by officers of the Post Marketing Surveillance Directorate of NAFDAC. The laboratory report of the analysis carried out on the product revealed that it contained zero Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API). The product was also observed to have two different date markings.
The NAFDAC database of registered products confirmed that the product’s licence has expired and the NAFDAC registration number on it is wrong and not for the product.
On December 18, 2024, NAFDAC alerted the public to the sale and distribution of counterfeit Paludex tablets and suspensions across Nigeria. In a statement on its X handle, NAFDAC said the PaludexArtemether/Lumefantrine tablets (80mg/480mg) were manufactured by Impact Pharmaceutical Ltd at No. 33A/33B, Standard Industrial Layout, Emene – Enugu State and were being marketed by MD Life Sciences Ltd, Emene Industrial Layout also in Enugu State.
The statement disclosed that NAFDAC also found a Paludex (Artemether/Lumefantrine) dry powder for oral suspension (180mg/1080mg) for paediatric use in circulation. According to the statement, the oral suspension is manufactured by Impact Pharmaceutical Ltd at No. 33A/33B Standard Industrial Layout in Enugu and EcomedPharma Limited in Ogun State and marketed by MD Life Sciences Ltd.
NAFDAC said that the results of laboratory analysis on both products by a WHO-prequalified laboratory in Germany indicated zero percent ‘Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API’s) in the products. The agency also sampled the same products and the reports of analysis confirmed zero percent of API content.
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