E-DRUG: WHO Alert : Falsified antimalarial in West Africa
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[E-drug has received a Rapid Alert from WHO concerning falsified
Anti-Malarial medicine recently circulating in West Africa. Please
disseminate to relevant colleagues and organizations. Original alert with
pictures is available at
http://www.who.int/medicines/publications/drugalerts/en/ WB]
Medical Product Alert No. 1/2015
Falsified anti-malarial medicine circulating in West Africa
This Medical Product Alert relates to the confirmed circulation of falsified
anti-malarial medicine in Togo and Côte dIvoire.
Following notification received from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund), confirmation has been received that the following batch of Arthemether/Lumefantrine, purchased in a street market in Abidjan, Côte dIvoire is falsified and
contains none of the correct active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Product: Artemether/Lumefantrine
Batch Number: DYI402542
Manufacturing date: 07/2013
Expiry Date: 06/2016
It should be noted that the outer (secondary) packaging bears the batch
number DYI402542 (Fig. 1 and 2.)
and the blister (primary) packaging containing the tablets bears the batch
number DYI402201 (Fig. 3).
Both the outer packaging and the blister bear the ACTm green leaf logo of
the Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria programme.
The packaging is in English.
In addition, the following boxes of Artemether/Lumefantrine were discovered
in a drug store in Lomé, Togo during an INTERPOL operation.
Product: Artemether/Lumefantrine
Batch Number: DYI402542
Manufacturing date: 07/2013
Expiry Date: 07/2016
In this case, whilst the outer bulk (tertiary) packaging bears the batch
number DYI402541 (Fig. 4),
the outer individual packs (secondary) packaging bear the batch number DYI402542
(Fig. 5) and the blister (primary) packaging containing the tablets bear the batch number
DYI402201 (Fig. 6).
All three levels of packaging bear the ACTm green leaf logo of the
Affordable Medicines Facility malaria programme. The packaging is in
English.
WHO are calling for increased vigilance for these specific batches of this
product. This alert is also available on the WHO website
http://www.who.int/medicines/publications/drugalerts/en/
If you have any information concerning these batches or to report incidents
concerning falsified medicines please contact rapidalert@who.int
Michael Deats and Pernette Bourdillon Esteve
Rapid Alert
Substandard, Spurious, Falsely labelled, Falsified and Counterfeit Medical
Products,
Safety and Vigilance,
Essential Medicines and Health Products
World Health Organization,
Geneva,
Switzerland.
To report a Substandard/Spurious/Falsely labelled/Falsified/Counterfeit
Medical product rapidalert@who.int
www.who.int
"Wilbert Bannenberg" <wjb@wxs.nl>
E-DRUG Moderator