WHO issues alert on ‘falsified batch’ of cancer drug in UAE, Kyrgyzstan

Sumedha Sharma

Gurugram, April 30

In a fresh turn of events in the case of the supply of a spurious cancer drug to a patient in Gurugram, the WHO has issued an alert for the same “falsified batch” of defetelio (defibrotide sodium) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kyrgyzstan.

According to the alert, the falsified products have been identified in the UK/Ireland and US packaging. Defibrotide is an antithrombotic agent used to treat severe veno-occlusive disease (VOD) in adult and paediatric patients undergoing haematopoietic (blood) stem cell transplantation. The alert says the genuine manufacturer of defetelio has confirmed that the products referenced in this alert are falsified. The laboratory analysis of a sample of the falsified product found it did not contain any of the stated active ingredient.

Meanwhile, the key supplier, who provided the injection to the cancer patient at Artemis hospital, has been arrested.

The accused, identified as Motidur Rehman Ansari, surrendered before the Drugs Department, claimed that he had no idea that the drug was spurious. Rehman has no valid import licence, but in his disclosure revealed that he would always arrange drugs by procuring valid licence at the time of the import and it was in this particular case that the doctor and patient insisted on urgency and he arranged the medicine through a chemist in Uttar Pradesh he found on India mart.

Drugs Controller Aman Deep said, “The agent was in touch with the doctor and we have recovered the WhatsApp chats between the two. He has also confessed speaking to the doctor along with the complainant, but insisted that he had no idea about the quality of the drug .We are tracing the chemist and the entire supply and distribution chain.”

A senior investigation official revealed that Artemis had removed the oncologist concerned from service and issued an advisory to the doctors pertaining to the procurement of the drug from verified sources.

Dr Anjali Kaul, medical superintendent at the Artemis hospital, issued a statement, saying, “No one has been suspended. The doctor concerned resigned on her own. At Artemis, we don’t allow outside medications. As per our code of conduct, no doctor or nurse can administer anything brought from outside the hospital. Only authorised vendors are allowed after source verification.”

The hospital, however, had no answer to reports of the doctor concerned being part of team after the case.

Meanwhile, all top hospitals have issued an advisory to their doctors to be vary of arranging drugs from unverified sources.

It was on April 21 that a joint team of the Haryana Chief Minister’s Flying Squad and Drug Department arrested an employee of Ansari for selling fake injections to cancer patients in Sector 52.During interrogation, the accused had disclosed that earlier he had taken Rs 10 lakh for 10 injections from the same victim.

Doctor resigned on her own

No one has been suspended. The doctor concerned resigned on her own. At Artemis, we don’t allow outside medications. Only authorised vendors are allowed after source verification. — Dr Anjali Kaul, medical superintendent, artemis hospital