NAFDAC BANS USE OF 101 DRUGS INCLUDING AMLODIPINE, ARTEMETHER, COMMON ANTIMALARIAL DRUGS, SEE LIST

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has banned the manufacture, importation, distribution, advertisement, sale, and use of 101 pharmaceutical products across Nigeria.

In a statement released on its official X handle on Tuesday, the agency explained that the affected products have either had their certificates of registration withdrawn, suspended, or cancelled.

Checks by PUNCH Online revealed that the banned items include widely used medicines such as Abacavir, Amlodipine, several antimalarial formulations of artemether/lumefantrine, valsartan-based cardiovascular drugs, insulin and growth-hormone injectables (Norditropin), diabetes medicines like Januvia and Janumet, as well as inhalers and eye drops.

The agency clarified that withdrawal occurs when a product’s market authorisation holder voluntarily discontinues its use, while suspension applies when licensing conditions are no longer met. Cancellation, it added, is enforced when a product’s registration licence is revoked outright.

NAFDAC noted that the decision was informed by licensing lapses and voluntary withdrawals by manufacturers, stressing that the list of affected products has been published on its official website.

The clampdown follows growing global concerns about fake and substandard medicines. A 2023 World Health Organisation report estimated that as many as 10 per cent of medicines in low- and middle-income countries are falsified or of poor quality.

The agency urged Nigerians to verify drug information via its website and report suspected cases of fake or banned medicines to safeguard public health.

Other drugs listed include

• Antimalarials such as Artemether/Lumefantrine and ASAQ (Artesunate Amodiaquine Winthrop)

• Cardiovascular drugs such as Valsartan and Aprovasc

• Diabetes medicines including Amaryl and Janumet/Januvia

• Insulin and growth-hormone injectables such as Norditropin

• Other widely used products like Abacavir tablets, Amlodipine, and Combination 3 Tablets

The products, according to NAFDAC, were manufactured by several well-known pharmaceutical companies including Sanofi Aventis Nigeria Ltd, Novartis Nigeria Limited, Bayer East Africa Limited, Healthline Limited, and Fensyl MHP Consulting Ltd, among others.