The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has blacklisted an Indian Pharma manufacturer Aveo Pharmaceuticals, based in the outskirts of Mumbai for the exportation of addictive opioids into the country.
NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed at the weekend that the agency action was informed by an investigation done by the BBC World Service, which revealed that the Indian pharma manufacturer was involved in the sales, production and exportation of a range of addiction pills containing a harmful mix of tapentadol (a powerful opioid), and carisoprodol, a banned muscle relaxant with addictive properties that can cause overdose, or death.
The illegal opioid brands come in different brand names such as Tafrodol, Royal-225 etc, she explained.
Prof, Adeyeye stressed that NAFDAC has never registered Tafrodol or Royal 225 or a strength of tramadol greater than 100 mg (the prescription strength), or any product manufactured by Aveo Pharmaceuticals Pvt. She further stated that the agency has placed on red alert any product from the manufacturer.
The BBC findings was enabled by an undercover operative sent inside the factory, posing as an African businessman looking to supply opioids to Nigeria with a hidden camera recorded his interaction with Vinod Sharma, the manager director of Aveo Pharmaceuticals, who confessed to exportation of large consignments of these combination of drugs across West Africa and their distribution for abuse as street drugs and opioids.
“This combination of drugs is not licensed for use anywhere in the world, neither is it registered by NAFDAC and can cause breathing difficulties and seizures. An overdose can kill. Despite the risks, these opioids are popular as street drugs in many West African countries, because they are so cheap and widely available,” Adeyeye decried.
The BBC World Service investigation revealed that packets of these brands, branded with the Aveo logo, have been on sale on the streets of Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote D’Ivoire towns and cities. Aveo Pharmaceuticals, India is also implicated in the manufacture of high dose tramadol for export to countries in West Africa, including Nigeria.
“Therefore, drawing from the NAFDAC Act Cap N.1 LFN 2004 and the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Cap C.34 LFN 2004, NAFDAC has decided to BLACKLIST AVEO Pharmaceuticals Pvt Limited.
“We have also put in place measures to prevent future registration of any product manufactured by this company,” the NAFDAC DG disclosed.
Adeyeye urged citizens to support NAFDAC’s fight against fake, substandard and falsified pharmaceutical products.
She also advised the public to avoid the use of unregistered products and consumption of medicines without prescription from trained medical practitioners.” This is to assure the public that NAFDAC will continue to deploy various methods to ensure that only quality, safe and efficacious medicines are available for distribution, sale and use within Nigeria.”
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