Alan Rappeport
Roche, the Swiss drugmaker, warned that counterfeit versions of Avastin, its top-selling cancer drug, were being circulated in the US, potentially putting patients at risk.
?The counterfeit product is not safe or effective and should not be used,? Roche said on Tuesday in a joint statement with Genentech, its US subsidiary.
The company said that chemical analyses showed that the counterfeit drug does not contain the active ingredients of Avastin. The medicine, which is the world?s best-selling cancer drug by revenues, is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat colon, lung, kidney and brain cancers.
Roche said it is working with the FDA to find the source of the counterfeit drug and stop it from being distributed. Health officials have been told to report any cases where patients experience unusual side effects from Avastin to the FDA.
Roche and Genentech said they use special packaging and printing techniques to combat counterfeiting.
Counterfeit drugs have become a growing concern as more manufacturing and sourcing of supplies has shifted overseas. The FDA has recently issued warnings on fake Tamiflu, Alli, surgical mesh and glucose test strips.
An FDA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment