NAFDAC Blacklists 22 Firms Over Fake Drugs

Fifteen Indian and seven Nigerian pharmaceutical companies indicted for manufacturing fake drugs, documents forgery and other unethical practices have been blacklisted by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Importation, distribution, sale and consumption of drugs produced by the 22 erring pharmaceutical companies have equally been banned by NAFDAC.

Also banned by the Agency are 40 different types of drugs considered to be unsafe and substandard.

Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Dora Akunyili announced the stern measures during a courtesy visit by the new UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr Suomi Sakai in Abuja Akunyili said the 22 companies would join the existing list of 30 pharmaceutical companies earlier blacklisted by the Agency in the last six years.

She explained that in 2003, NAFDAC blacklisted 19 Indian, 8 Chinese and 1 Pakistani pharmaceutical companies for manufacturing and exporting to the country fake and substandard drugs.

The Director-General warned that any individual or company found to be in possession of any banned drug would be severely sanctioned by NAFDC to serve as deterrent to others.

Akunyili commend the collaborative role of UNICEF particularly on capacity building, attainment of MDG, Universal Salt Iodisation (USI) and Vitamin A Food fortification programmes which has put Nigeria in frontline position in Africa while announcing that UNICEF and NAFDAC were planning to host a summit on Nutrition and Child Survival.

According to her, the visit of the new UNICEF Country Representative will further strengthen the bond of friendship and partnership between NAFDAC and UNICEF.

Responding, UNCIEF Country Representative, Sakai praised the exemplary and selfless leadership of Akunyili and the giant strides NAFDAC has made in safeguarding public Health through fight against fake drugs and substandard regulated products.

SOURCE: NAFDAC (Nigeria)