The World Health Organization has alerted Pakistan’s Drug Regulatory Authority (DRAP) about counterfeit blood cancer medications circulating in the country.
According to documents cited in the report, WHO contacted “DRAP” and provided samples of the counterfeit medical products, in response DRAP issued rapid safety alerts to flag the fake medicines.
WHO identified Jakavi tablets and Darzalex injections, both used to treat blood cancer, as counterfeit. The sale and use of the affected batches have since been banned in Pakistan.
DRAP confirmed that Darzalex Injection 400 mg, from Batch STV1K01 is counterfeit, along with Darzalex Injection 100 mg from Batch MYS7381. Counterfeit versions of these batches have reportedly been traced to the Maldives and Mexico.
The packaging on the fake Darzalex injections lists an address for Janssen Cilag Belgium, though the batches have been officially declared counterfeit by Johnson & Johnson International.
DRAP also identified counterfeit versions of Jakavi tablets, including batch FNR06 for the 15 mg dosage and batch SGL04 for the 10 mg dosage. The counterfeit packaging lists an address for Novartis Pharma Switzerland, and Novartis has confirmed these specific batches are fake.
Both Darzalex injections and Jakavi tablets failed to meet required testing standards, investigators were unable to verify the raw materials used in the samples, and foreign particles were discovered in the Darzalex injection samples specifically.
Health officials warn that the effectiveness of counterfeit medications like these is uncertain, and their use could pose serious, potentially life threatening risks to patients relying on them for cancer treatment.
Patients and healthcare providers are being urged to check medication batch numbers against the flagged counterfeit batches and to report any suspicious packaging or product performance to DRAP. Authorities say further updates are expected as investigations into the distribution of the counterfeit batches continue.
