Roche reported that a counterfeit version of the company's widely used cancer drug Avastin has been found in the U.S., according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The company said laboratory tests revealed the fake drug and showed that it does not contain the active ingredient found in Avastin. The company said the medication might be counterfeit if the label names Roche as the manufacturer and/or the batch numbers start with B6010, B6011 or B86017. Genetech, a member company of Roche, markets the only FDA-approved version of Avastin in the U.S. The Roche logo does not appear on the packaging or the vials.
The FDA is investigating the reports and has sent letters to 19 medical practices the agency says buy unapproved cancer medicines and might have bought the fake drug, the Wall Street Journal report said. So far, no patient side effects linked to the product have been reported.
This latest incident is part of a growing problem of counterfeit medication in the U.S. Counterfeit versions of Alli, a weight-loss treatment, and Tamiflu, an influenza treatment, has been reported recently.
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The company said laboratory tests revealed the fake drug and showed that it does not contain the active ingredient found in Avastin. The company said the medication might be counterfeit if the label names Roche as the manufacturer and/or the batch numbers start with B6010, B6011 or B86017. Genetech, a member company of Roche, markets the only FDA-approved version of Avastin in the U.S. The Roche logo does not appear on the packaging or the vials.
The FDA is investigating the reports and has sent letters to 19 medical practices the agency says buy unapproved cancer medicines and might have bought the fake drug, the Wall Street Journal report said. So far, no patient side effects linked to the product have been reported.
This latest incident is part of a growing problem of counterfeit medication in the U.S. Counterfeit versions of Alli, a weight-loss treatment, and Tamiflu, an influenza treatment, has been reported recently.
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