WHO warns of fake breast cancer drug in Africa, Middle East
The global health body added that the fake drugs bear batch numbers that may appear legitimate but show packaging errors, unusual capsule markings and incorrect labelling, making them difficult to identify.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a global alert after uncovering falsified versions of the breast cancer drug IBRANCE circulating in five countries, warning that the fake medicines contain no active ingredient and could put patients' lives at risk.
According to WHO, the counterfeit products have so far been detected in Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya and Türkiye, and were sold both online and at pharmacies.
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The global health body added that the fake drugs bear batch numbers that may appear legitimate but show packaging errors, unusual capsule markings and incorrect labelling, making them difficult to identify.
Laboratory tests have similarly confirmed that the pills contained no palbociclib, the active ingredient used to treat certain advanced breast cancers
"These products are falsified as they deliberately misrepresent their identity, composition, and source. The genuine manufacturer has confirmed that the products listed in this alert are falsified," said WHO in its alert.
"Samples have been tested by the genuine manufacturer and were found to contain no active pharmaceutical ingredient. The manufacturer also identified several visual discrepancies on the packaging. Some of the falsified products carry genuine lot numbers but display packaging, serialisation, and capsule printing anomalies."
According to the WHO, using counterfeit medication could lead to cancer treatment complications and an increased risk of death.
"These falsified medicines did not contain any active pharmaceutical ingredient and should therefore be considered unsafe. Their use could result in treatment failure, uncontrolled cancer progression, and a higher risk of death due to lack of therapeutic effect," said WHO.
"It is important to detect and remove any falsified IBRANCE (palbociclib) from circulation to prevent harm to patients."
WHO subsequently urged regulatory authorities in the five countries to strengthen monitoring of supply chains, particularly in online and informal markets, and to notify the agency if any falsified products are discovered. The health body also urged patients to obtain medicines only from authorised suppliers.
"If you, or someone you know, has, or may have used these products, or suffered an adverse event or unexpected side-effect after use, seek immediate medical advice from a health-care professional or contact a poisons control centre," said WHO.
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