Pak drug regulator is investigating distributors of Roche’s Avastin drug after diabetes patients went blind

Health authorities in Punjab had initiated a probe into the local use of drug Avastin, the report said citing the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

“Incidents of vision loss have been reported in diabetic patients following treatment with an injection of Altered/Dispensed/Dluted Avastin,” the regulator said in a statement. Reuters report.

Police interrogated two men believed to be distributors of the drug in Punjab, the report added, citing Javed Akram, the specialty health minister of Punjab province. “A high-level committee has been constituted to look into the issue. A case has been registered against the distributor and his assistant.”

The DRAP has directed the importer to recall the suspected batches of Avastin 100mg injection, which they said were illegally manufactured.

“The sale/distribution of registered Avastin injection has been halted until its quality is verified through sampling and laboratory testing to protect public health,” the report said.

Avastin has been approved in more than 130 countries, including the United States, for the treatment of several types of cancer, Roche said on its website.

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“Roche strongly condemns this criminal act of counterfeiting and is committed to working with authorities to protect patients from counterfeiting,” Roche said in a statement. Reuters.

“In Pakistan, the loss of face due to Avastin has been identified by authorities as a case of contamination from a third-party supplier,” it added.

The cancer drug Avastin, when used in much lower doses, is similar to the eye drug Lucentis and is used in many countries as a low-cost option to treat certain blindness-causing conditions.

“Avastin is not approved for any use in the eye. Counterfeit medicines pose a health risk to patients because their contents may be ineffective and contain harmful ingredients,” Roche said.

(With input from Reuters)

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Updated: Sep 25, 2023 11:31 PM IST