The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

THE Bahamas Pharmacy Council is urging Bahamians purchasing cancer medication to beware a counterfeit drug currently on the market.

The council said any purchase of Roche’s Altuzan 400mg/16ml (bevacizumb) should be accompanied by documentation proving its authenticity, particularly if the drug is imported from Turkey.

The warning comes after an investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US found examples of a counterfeit version of the drug that contains no active ingredients. The Bahamas Pharmacy Council said although there is no evidence of the product entering the Bahamas, for the sake of public safety, patients should still seek to verify authenticity of their medication.

The integrity of medicines can be guaranteed by purchasing products through authorised distributors, the council said.

“Purchasing from maufacturer-authorised distributors virtually eliminates the risk of receiving counterfeit products,” it said.

Bevacizumab is an angiogenesis inhibitor, a drug that slows the growth of new blood vessels. Around the world it is licensed to treat various cancers, including colo-rectal, lung, breast, kidney and ovarian cancer.