The Nationwide Company for Meals and Drug Administration and Management (NAFDAC) has intercepted counterfeit malaria medicines valued at over N1.2 billion in Lagos State.
The pretend medicines originated from Shanxi Tianyuan Prescription drugs Group in China and have been falsely declared as spare components within the transport container.
“NAFDAC has intercepted 277 cartons of counterfeit and unregistered Malamal Forte malaria medication, valued at over N1.2 billion, in a warehouse situated within the Ilasa-Oshodi space of Lagos State,” the company acknowledged.
In accordance with the company, a warehouse situated within the Ilasa-Oshodi space was raided, resulting in the invention of 277 cartons of unregistered Malamal Forte malaria medication. The merchandise, which have been illegally imported, had been hid in cartons labelled as Diclofenac Potassium 50mg
Different counterfeit reported
NAFDAC issued a public alert on the circulation of counterfeit Artemether/Lumefantrine tablets underneath the model identify Aflotin 20/120 in Nigeria. The pretend merchandise have been reported by the real producer, Ajanta Pharma Restricted, Mumbai, India, after discrepancies have been found in packaging and paintings in comparison with the genuine product.
NAFDAC confirmed that the counterfeit Aflotin 20/120 doesn’t match Ajanta’s authorised packaging or overprinting fashion and is due to this fact falsified.
The real Aflotin 20/120 tablets mix Artemether 20mg and Lumefantrine 120mg and are used to deal with uncomplicated malaria brought on by Plasmodium falciparum.
This alert varieties a part of a collection of latest warnings by NAFDAC on substandard and falsified merchandise, together with Oxytocin injections, Postinor2, amongst others.
- NAFDAC’s Director-Basic, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, condemned the smuggling of unregistered medication into the nation and reassured the general public of the company’s dedication to safeguard well being.
Prof. Adeyeye mentioned the company, with the total help of the Presidency and Federal Ministry of Well being, it is going to intensify its operations to rid the nation of dangerous and substandard merchandise.
What it’s best to know
In a continued effort to safeguard public well being, Nigerian authorities have stepped up enforcement towards counterfeit and expired medicines, highlighting the dimensions of the problem going through the nation’s pharmaceutical provide chain.
In March, NAFDAC destroyed counterfeit and banned medicines estimated at N100 billion seized from Lagos’ Idumota Open Drug Market.
The operation, carried out on the Lapite Dumpsite in Ibadan, adopted a three-week enforcement drive that noticed the evacuation of 27 vans of pretend medication, the sealing of over 3,000 outlets, and the arrest of a number of suspects.
Final month, the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) handed over expired pharmaceutical merchandise valued at N3.77 billion to NAFDAC. The consignments, packed in three vans, included Hyergra, Royal Tablets 225, Codine Syrup, Tramadol, and Amlodipine.
Customs described the handover as a part of a memorandum of understanding with NAFDAC to cease dangerous consignments from getting into Nigerian markets.
