Cancer drug probe finds 21 fake vials

Pharmaceutical company's analysis found no active ingredient

Mexico News Daily | Thursday, February 23, 2017

After a month-long investigation into fake chemotherapy treatments in the state of Veracruz, the
federal government has identified 21 vials containing false medication.

The information came in a joint statement issued by the Federal Commission for Protection Against
Health Risks (Cofepris) and the federal and state Health Secretariats. There was no mention of any
cases of patients having been treated with the false medication, which carried the brand name
Avastin.

The investigation revealed that the state health system purchased one vial of fake medication in 2010
and 20 more in 2011 from two different suppliers.

Cofepris analyzed the medical files of 2,055 patients treated at a state-run cancer clinic between 2010
and 2016, concluding that the chemotherapy drug Avastin had been used in 119 adult cases.

That medication is produced by the pharmaceutical company Roche Laboratories, which has since
analyzed samples of the phony medication and its packaging.

The company said its analysis revealed there was no active ingredient in the samples and found
enough inconsistencies in the packaging to determine they werent legitimate products.

Additionally, Roche said that neither of the companies from which the state bought the medications is
a licensed distributor.

The state health authority has said that four more Avastin suppliers are currently under investigation.

While the first reports of the use of fake cancer medication in Veracruz date back to 2010, none of
them drew much attention until last month when Governor Miguel ngel Yunes announced that
cancer patients had been treated with distilled water.
The accusations made by Yunes were followed by formal complaints filed before the federal Attorney
Generals office against his two predecessors, Fidel Herrera Beltrn, governor between 2004 and
2010, and Javier Duarte de Ochoa, who stepped down from office last October.
The investigations into the Veracruz health system also found that the 70,000 HIV test kits were
purchased in 2012, of which 46,984 have been accounted for.

The kits lacked official registration, and were also purchased from a firm with an incorrect address.

The probes have also led to the discovery of 23 tonnes of expired medications in several warehouses
and premises of the Health Secretariat.

- See more at: http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/cancer-drug-probe-finds-21-vials-of-fake-

product/#sthash.eqYHzNPk.dpuf
Why did I understand?

Why did I choose it?

Why is it important?

What is my opinion about?