The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has raised alarm over the circulation of counterfeit cancer medicines in the country, naming Avastin and Tecentriq as affected products.
In a public alert, NAFDAC said fake batches of Avastin and Tecentriq have been detected across Nigeria, posing serious risks to patients undergoing cancer treatment.
Avastin (bevacizumab) is commonly used to treat recurrent brain tumours in adults, while Tecentriq (atezolizumab) is prescribed for advanced cancers such as lung cancer, liver cancer and melanoma.
The agency said the warning followed a report from Roche Nigeria, which confirmed multiple cases of counterfeit products after complaints from healthcare professionals nationwide.
According to NAFDAC, several patients unknowingly purchased the fake medicines and brought them to hospitals. The products were reportedly sold at suspiciously low prices, ranging between N180,000 and N350,000.
Investigations revealed clear differences between the fake and genuine products. These include incorrect batch numbers, poor printing quality, misplaced text and inconsistencies in serial numbers and tamper-evident labels.
The regulator identified counterfeit Avastin batches as H4239A70, H2290A34 and A3508B02, while the affected Tecentriq batch was listed as B3071A12.
NAFDAC noted that laboratory testing could not be conducted because no physical samples were available, with the investigation relying on photographs provided by complainants.
The agency warned that counterfeit cancer drugs may contain little or no active ingredients, harmful substances or incorrect dosages, potentially leading to treatment failure, worsening illness or even death.
It has directed its officials nationwide to intensify surveillance and remove the fake medicines from circulation.
NAFDAC urged healthcare providers, distributors and patients to source medicines only from authorised suppliers and to report any suspicious products through its official channels.
