The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a public health warning regarding counterfeit antimalarial medication circulating in Nigeria. Regulators have identified a batch of falsified Artemether/Lumefantrine tablets being sold under the brand name “Aflotin 20/120.”
The genuine manufacturer, Ajanta Pharma Limited of Mumbai, India, reported the presence of these counterfeit drugs to NAFDAC.
According to investigations conducted by Ajanta Pharma, the falsified products bear several telltale signs of counterfeiting. The batch in question, numbered PA2128L, was originally manufactured in December 2018 with a November 2020 expiration date for a different product called Combisunate 20/120. However, counterfeiters have repurposed this batch information to sell fake Aflotin 20/120mg in packages of 18 tablets rather than the authentic product’s 24-tablet packaging.
Ajanta Pharma had said the overprinted text does not match the company’s standard style, and the carton artwork is inconsistent with their approved designs. Their investigation conclusively determined that Aflotin 20/120mg products with batch number PA2128L currently available in Nigeria are counterfeit.
The falsified products claim a manufacturing date of April 2023 and an expiration date of March 2026 and list Ajanta Pharma Limited, Mumbai, as the manufacturer.
Genuine Aflotin 20/120 tablets contain a combination of artemether and lumefantrine that is essential for treating uncomplicated malaria caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite.
Health officials warn that counterfeit medicines pose serious health risks as they do not meet regulatory standards for safety, quality, or efficacy. “The use of these falsified medications can fail to properly treat malaria, potentially leading to severe health consequences or even death,” says NAFDAC.
NAFDAC has directed all zonal directors and state coordinators to conduct immediate surveillance operations to remove these counterfeit products from circulation. Healthcare professionals, distributors, retailers, and consumers are urged to exercise heightened vigilance and to source all medical products only from authorised suppliers.
Anyone who encounters suspicious medications is encouraged to report them to the nearest NAFDAC office, call 0800-162-3322, or email sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng. Adverse reactions can be reported through NAFDAC’s e-reporting platforms or the Med-safety application.
The alert will also be uploaded to the World Health Organisation‘s Global Surveillance and Monitoring System to prevent international distribution of these dangerous counterfeits.
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