The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted Nigerians, including healthcare providers, about Phesgo, a suspected counterfeit cancer treatment drug.

The alert on the circulation of the drug was published on the agency’s website.

NAFDAC said a doctor at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) had raised concerns about the drug after a patient brought it in.

The agency said the product had not been administered, but it matched the characteristics of a previously reported counterfeit batch, C3809C51.

“The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) wishes to inform healthcare providers and the public of a report of a suspected counterfeit Phesgo® 600mg/600mg/10ml, labelled with batch C5290S20,” the statement reads.

“The Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH) Roche received a complaint from a doctor at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH-NSIA) reporting a suspected counterfeit Phesgo® 600mg/600mg, labelled with batch C5290S20.

“The product was reported to have been brought in by a patient for administration. It had not been administered at the time of the report, as it matched the previously reported counterfeit batch: C3809C51.

“Although no sample was returned to Roche for investigation, only pictures displaying parts of a Phesgo® 600mg/600mg in a 10ml folding box and a labelled vial.

“Images of the suspected product were examined by Roche and compared to the genuine samples retained for reference.

“Although no physical sample was returned to Roche for investigation, images of parts of the product specifically, a Phesgo 600mg/600mg vial and a 10ml folding box were examined.

“The suspected product’s images were compared to genuine samples retained by Roche.

“Roche’s investigation identified several significant differences between the complaint sample and genuine materials, confirming the counterfeit status of the batch.

“These included: no batch number in the MAH database, discrepancies in language, missing basilisk, incorrect bollino date, and tampered evidence labels that did not match genuine Roche materials.”

NAFDAC added that “since no physical sample was available for chemical analysis”, the investigation was “limited to visual comparisons”.

A doctor operating on a cancer patient accidentally ‘transplanted’ the disease into himself in what is believed to be a one-of-a-kind event, Daily Mail of UK reported on Friday.

A 32-year-old man from Germany had been diagnosed with a rare type of cancer and was having a tumour removed from his abdomen.

While in surgery, the doctor performing the procedure accidentally cut his hand, but the wound was disinfected and bandaged immediately.

However, five months later, the 53-year-old surgeon noticed a small lump developing where he had injured himself months earlier and sought care.

The lump turned out to be a malignant tumour and tests showed it was genetically identical to the cancer suffered by his former patient.

This led the medical team who treated him to conclude he had caught the cancer when tumour cells entered the cut on his hand.

Authors of the case report called this an usual situation because in a traditional transplant, the body mounts an immune response and rejects any foreign tissue, and they would have expected the same in the doctor’s case.

However, given the tumour’s development, and growth, it suggests the surgeon’s body had an ‘ineffective antitumor immune response.’

Published in The New England Journal of Medicine, doctors detailed the ‘accidental transplantation’ of the patient’s malignant fibrous histiocytoma—a rare type of cancer that forms in soft tissue with just 1,400 diagnoses per year.

The doctor injured the palm of his left hand when trying to place a drain in his patient while performing surgery to remove the cancer from the patient’s abdomen.

While the cancer patient’s initial surgery was successful, he died following complications after the procedure.

Five months later, a hard 1.2inch ‘tumour-like swelling’ appeared at the base of the doctor’s left middle finger and he visited a hand specialist.

An ‘extensive’ examination was conducted, including numerous laboratory and blood tests, which revealed no abnormal findings.

The tumour was removed anyway and examining the mass under a microscope revealed it was also a malignant fibrous histiocytoma.

The physician who had been treating both the cancer patient and the surgeon ‘raised the question whether the tumors were related.

Samples of both tumours were further analyzed and were determined to be ‘identical.’

They both had the same types of cells and arrangement of those cells, meaning the surgeon may have unknowingly transferred cancer cells from the patient to the cut in his hand, allowing the disease to take root and grow in his body.”

The authors wrote: “Normally, transplantation of allogeneic tissue from one person to another induces an immune response that leads to the rejection of the transplanted tissue.

“In the case of the surgeon, an intense inflammatory reaction developed in the tissue surrounding the tumour, but the tumour mass increased, suggesting an ineffective antitumour immune response.’

The authors speculate the tumour ‘escaped immunologic destruction through several mechanisms,’ including changes to molecules in its cells and a failure in the surgeon’s body to recognize and attack tumour cells effectively.

However, after the surgeon had his own tumour removed, there were no signs the cancer had spread or returned.

Doctors noted the case was interesting because transplanted tissue differs from the host tissue and is usually targeted by the host’s immune system in an attempt to destroy it.

This is why organ recipients must take immunosuppressive drugs to make sure their body does not reject the transplanted organ.

But while the surgeon developed inflammation around his original cut, his immune response did not stop the tumour from growing.

Cases like the surgeon’s are extremely rare and there are no statistics on ‘transplanted’ cancer.

Source: Daily Mail of UK

President Tinubu has introduced zero tax on all imported drugs with a new executive order.

JomogNews Nigeria reports that President Bola Tinubu has signed an executive order to introduce zero tariffs, excise duties and Value-Added Tax (VAT) on imported pharmaceutical inputs, a statement by the coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, said.

This Nigeria news platform understands that Pate said the order introduced zero tariffs, excise duties, and Value-Added Tax (VAT) on specified machinery, equipment, and raw materials imported for pharmaceutical production.

His words: “In a transformative move to revitalize the Nigerian health sector, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR @officialABAT, has signed an Executive Order aiming to increase local production of healthcare products (pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, devices such as needles and syringes, biologicals, medical textile, etc.).

“The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation @FedMinOfJustice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi SAN, @LOFagbemi, is to now take the next steps towards codifying the new Order.”

The Minister noted that the order is crucial to the success of the initiative for unlocking the healthcare value chain (PVAC_NG), which was approved in October 2023 by the president.

“The Order introduces zero tariffs, excise duties and VAT on specified machinery, equipment and raw materials, aiming to reduce production costs and enhance our local manufacturers’ competitiveness,” he said.

“Specified items include Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), excipients, other essential raw materials required for manufacturing of crucial health products like drugs, syringes and needles, Long-lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) and Rapid Diagnostic Kits, among others.

“The Order also provides for establishing market shaping mechanisms such as framework contracts and volume guarantees, to encourage local manufacturers.”

The order, according to the statement also mandated collaboration among relevant ministries and agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), to ensure swift implementation and reduce regulatory bottlenecks.

The order, according to Pate, provides market-based incentives to encourage medical industrialization, reduce costs of medical products through import substitution, create and retain economic value, and enable job creation in the healthcare value chain.

The waivers and exemptions will be effective for two years.