The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a nationwide alert regarding a confirmed counterfeit batch of Herceptin 600 mg circulating in Nigeria. The affected batch, A8519B34, was first reported in Lagos State.
Herceptin (trastuzumab) is a prescription medicine used in the treatment of certain types of breast and stomach cancers, working by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells. The counterfeit product was reportedly offered at a significantly reduced price of N50,000, well below the standard market rate.
NAFDAC, in collaboration with Roche Nigeria, conducted an investigation and identified key discrepancies, including incorrect artwork on the packaging, an invalid expiry date, and a fake 2D matrix code. The lot number A8519B34 does not match any genuine Roche Herceptin batch, making traceability impossible.
Full details of the affected counterfeit product are as follows:
Product: Herceptin 600 mg
Batch number: A8519B34
Manufacturing date: January 2024
Expiry date: November 2026
NAFDAC clarified that authentic Herceptin 600 mg is manufactured by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd at its Kaiseraugust facility in Basel, Switzerland.
The agency has directed all zonal directors and state coordinators to intensify surveillance and remove counterfeit products from circulation. Importers, distributors, retailers, and healthcare providers have been urged to source medicines only from authorized suppliers and verify product authenticity before use.
Counterfeit cancer medicines pose serious health risks, including treatment failure, disease progression, severe adverse reactions, and even death. NAFDAC previously warned about other counterfeit cancer medicines, including Avastin 400 mg, Tecentriq 1200 mg/20 ml, and Phesgo 600 mg, circulating across the country.
The agency also recently recalled MR.7 SUPER 700,000 male enhancement capsules containing undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients and directed the withdrawal of multi-dose Artemether/Lumefantrine dry powder for oral suspension still in circulation.
