The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a public alert over the circulation of counterfeit cancer medications across Nigeria, warning of serious risks to patient safety and treatment outcomes.
The agency said fake batches of Avastin 400mg/16ml (Bevacizumab) and Tecentriq 1200mg/20ml (Atezolizumab) have been identified within the country’s drug supply chain, following reports from healthcare professionals and its marketing authorisation holder, Roche Nigeria.
“These counterfeit oncology products pose a serious threat to public health,” NAFDAC said, noting that the alert was triggered by multiple complaints from medical practitioners nationwide.
Avastin is used in the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma in adults, while Tecentriq is prescribed for several advanced cancers, including lung, liver, and melanoma.
According to the agency, the counterfeit drugs were discovered after patients presented suspicious products at hospitals. Investigations revealed that the fake medicines were often sold at unusually low prices, ranging between N180,000 and N350,000.
NAFDAC confirmed that evidence of counterfeit packaging materials was established during investigations. It also identified specific fake batches, including Avastin batches H4239A70, H2290A34, and A3508B02, as well as Tecentriq batch B3071A12.
The agency noted several warning signs associated with the counterfeit products, including non-existent batch numbers, poor-quality printing, spelling errors, incorrect packaging details, inconsistent tamper-evident labels, and invalid serial numbers.
“The batch number does not exist in the Roche database, making lot tracing impossible,” the agency stated.
NAFDAC further warned that counterfeit cancer drugs could contain incorrect or no active ingredients, harmful contaminants, or wrong dosage strengths, all of which could lead to treatment failure, disease progression, severe adverse reactions, or death.
However, the agency said chemical analysis could not be carried out due to the absence of physical samples, with its findings based on photographic evidence provided by complainants.
In response, NAFDAC has directed its zonal and state offices to intensify surveillance and ensure the immediate removal of the counterfeit products from circulation.
The agency also urged importers, distributors, healthcare workers, and patients to exercise caution and ensure that medicines are obtained only from authorised and licensed sources.
Members of the public have been encouraged to report suspected counterfeit or substandard drugs through NAFDAC offices, its hotline, or official email channels.
