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The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted Nigerians to the circulation of a fake anti-malaria medicine.
In a public alert marked No. 043/2024, NAFDAC says the medication is COMBIART (Artemether + Lumefantrine 20/120 mg) Dispersible Tablet. The product is manufactured by Strides Arcolab Limited, based in India.
NAFDAC says the product was first discovered in the FCT 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 APls. The product was also observed to have two different date markings”, says the alert. “The NAFDAC database of registered products has confirmed that the product license has expired and the NAFDAC Registration Number on it is wrong and not for the product.”
The agency also stated that the product was manufactured between June 2023 and Feb 2023, and it expires May 2026 and June 2026. The product has batch number 7225119 with NAFDAC Reg No. A11-0299.
The manufacturer name and address is Strides Arcolab Limited, 36/7, Suragajakkanahalli, Indlavadi Cross, Anekal Taluk, Bangalore – 562 106, India.
“The Artemether and Lumefantrine combination belongs to a group of medicines known as antimalarials. It treats malaria, a red blood cell infection transmitted by the bite of a mosquito”, says NAFDAC.
“However, this medicine is not used to treat severe or complicated malaria”, it added.
NAFDAC says all its zonal directors and state coordinators have been directed to carry out surveillance and mop up the counterfeit products within the zones and states.
It advised distributors, importers, retailers, healthcare professionals, and caregivers to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain to avoid the importation, distribution, sale and use of counterfeit products.
Visit www.africanpridemagazine.com for more
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