New Delhi (Agency): The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has issued a warning to all state and Union territory drug controllers. The warning is about the sale and distribution of fake versions of two critical drugs: liver medication Defitelio and Takeda’s cancer drug Adcetris. This move comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) issued safety alerts about these drugs.
In the advisory, the DCGI shared that WHO has found fake versions of Adcetris in four different countries, including India. These products often reach patients through “unregulated supply chains,” mostly online. There are “at least eight different batch numbers of falsified versions in circulation,” according to the DCGI.
Adcetris is used for treating Hodgkin’s lymphoma and systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Meanwhile, another advisory mentioned a WHO safety alert about the liver medication Defitelio. This false product was found in India and Turkey and sold outside authorized channels. Using fake Defitelio “could be life-threatening,” warned the United Nations’ health body.
In light of these alerts, DCGI has advised doctors and healthcare professionals to be extra careful when prescribing these drugs. They should also educate patients about reporting any adverse drug reactions. State and regional offices have been instructed to keep a close eye on the sale, distribution, and stock of these medications. Officers should also take samples and act according to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
For patients and consumers, the top drug regulator has a clear message: buy medical products only from authorized sources and always ask for a proper invoice.
Earlier, the DCGI had also issued a warning against Abbott’s antacid Digene gel, after the U.S.-based company voluntarily recalled several batches in India.
Reacting to these developments, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited stated that Adcetris should only be bought from authorized distributors. The company said, “falsified medical products pose a significant threat to public health,” and confirmed its commitment to maintaining the quality of its products and protecting patient safety.