The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has blacklisted Aveo Pharmaceuticals, an Indian company based in Mumbai, for illegally manufacturing and exporting dangerous opioid drugs to Nigeria and other West African countries.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja, Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, explained that the company, managed by Vinod Sharma, was involved in the production and distribution of Tapentadol, a powerful opioid, and Carisoprodol, a banned muscle relaxant known for its addictive properties.
Prof. Adeyeye said these substances were combined and sold under brand names like Tafrodol and Royal 225, which pose serious health risks, including overdose and death.
She explained that the decision to blacklist the company followed a BBC World Service investigation that found these drugs, bearing the Aveo Pharmaceuticals logo, being sold in Ghana, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as the production of high-dose Tramadol (250mg and above), which is illegal in the country.
‘’ An undercover operative sent inside the factory, posing as an African businessman looking to supply opioids to Nigeria with a hidden camera, recorded his interaction with Vinod Sharma, who confessed to exportation of large consignments of these combination of drugs across West Africa and their distribution for abuse as street drugs and opioids.
‘’This combination of drugs is not licensed for use anywhere in the world, nor is it registered by NAFDAC, and can cause breathing difficulties and seizures. An overdose can kill. Despite the risks, these opioids are popular as street drugs in many West African countries because they are so cheap and widely available,’’ she said.
She warned that the drug combination could cause breathing difficulties, seizures, and even death
Prof. Adeyeye, who stated that measures have been taken to prevent future registration of any products from the company, emphasized that the agency has intensified enforcement actions against the sale of illicit and counterfeit pharmaceuticals nationwide.
‘’ NAFDAC has consistently worked to ensure that public health is protected through the entrenchment of International best practices during product registration, which include dossier reviews, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) inspections, and laboratory analysis of products intended for registration. We also have Post Marketing Surveillance activities and Pre-shipment Inspection Scheme also called the Clean Report of Inspection and Analysis (CRIA) Scheme for high-risk countries like India.
She said ‘’these measures are there to support NAFDAC’s efforts at preventing the import and distribution of substandard, fake, and falsified pharmaceutical products in Nigeria.”
She further advised Nigerians to avoid unregistered medicines and only use drugs prescribed by qualified healthcare professionals.
“We are making Nigeria an uncomfortable place for the unethical distribution of substandard and dangerous drugs,” Prof. Adeyeye stated.
