Pharmacy and Poisons Board offices
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has issued an alert warning Kenyans against the use and distribution of a falsified batch of the cancer treatment drug Phesgo currently circulating in the country.
In a notice on Thursday, May 28, PPB said the counterfeit batch identified as C5290S20 poses a serious risk to patient safety and public health.
“During the course of these surveillance activities, the Board has identified a falsified batch of Phesgo (Pertuzumab/Trastuzumab), Batch Number C5290S20, currently circulating in the Kenyan market,” read the statement in part.
According to the Board, investigations conducted through post-marketing surveillance established that the fake batch does not correspond to any authentic Roche batch number.
The Board further noted that the falsified product contains a white powder, unlike genuine Phesgo, which is supplied as a ready-to-use liquid solution that is clear to opalescent and colorless to slightly brownish.
PPB warned that the falsified batch may contain harmful or insufficient ingredients whose quality, safety, and efficacy cannot be guaranteed.
“The falsified batch may contain incorrect, insufficient, or harmful ingredients, and its quality, safety, and efficacy cannot be guaranteed. Use of this product poses a serious risk to patient safety and public health,” PPB stated.
The agency directed procurement agencies, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, pharmacists, pharmaceutical technologists, healthcare professionals, and members of the public to immediately stop the distribution and use of the affected batch.
The Board urged stakeholders in the pharmaceutical supply chain to source health products exclusively from licensed manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers.
“Procurement agencies, distributors, wholesalers and retailers, pharmacists, pharmaceutical technologists, all healthcare professionals and members of the public should immediately stop the distribution and use of Phesgo (Pertuzumab/Trastuzumab), Batch Number C5290S20 and report any encounter with this falsified batch to the Pharmacy and Poisons Board,” the statement added.
Further, PPB said it is working together with relevant government investigative agencies to take firm action against individuals or entities involved in the distribution of falsified medicines.
