The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has blacklisted Aveo Pharmaceuticals, an Indian-Based company over its involvement in the production and exportation of harmful pills across West African nations, including Nigeria.
It was learnt that the Pharmaceutical facility located in Mumbai, is into the manufacturing and distribution of Tafrodol and Royal 225-drugs, which contains a harmful mix of Tapentadol, a powerful opioid, and Carisoprodol.
These harmful substances, as gathered, are banned muscle relaxants and pose severe health risks, including respiratory failure, seizures, overdose, and death.
In a statement released on Friday, NAFDAC Director General, Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed that theses harmful drugs produced under the management Vinod Sharma, were found on sale in Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote D’Ivoire.
Adeyeye explained that an undercover operative, posing as a businessman, caught Sharma on camera confessing to exporting large quantities of opioids to West Africa, where they were distributed as street drugs.
According to her, “The BBC World Service investigation revealed that packets of these brands, branded with the Aveo logo, have been on sale on the streets of Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote D’Ivoire towns and cities. Aveo Pharmaceuticals, India is also implicated in the manufacture of high-dose tramadol for export to countries in West Africa, including Nigeria.”
“NAFDAC has never registered Tafrodol or Royal 225 or strength of tramadol greater than 100 mg (the prescription strength), or any product manufactured by Aveo Pharmaceuticals Pvt Limited. Therefore, drawing from the NAFDAC Act Cap N.1 LFN 2004 and the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Cap C.34 LFN 2004, NAFDAC has decided to blacklist Aveo Pharmaceuticals Pvt Limited. We have also put in place measures to prevent future registration of any product manufactured by this company.”
While urging the public to support NAFDAC in fighting against fake products, the Director General cautioned citizens against using unregistered products and consuming medicines without prescriptions from trained medical practitioners.
Furthermore, Adeyeye reiterated the agency’s commitment to protecting public health by enforcing international best practices in pharmaceutical regulation, including stringent product registration, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) inspections, post-marketing surveillance, and pre-shipment inspections for high-risk imports.
