NAFDAC blames India and China for fake drug

Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has blamed counterfeit drug manufacturers in India and China for the  contamination of 3,000 bottles of a teething formula which allegedly  contained 90% diethylene glycol. The additive is a poisonous ingredient  associated with recent tainted Chinese medicines, toothpaste and food  products in several countries, including the USA and Panama. In the  latter country, over 110 people died from tainted antihistamines and  cough remedies associated with the fake ingredient, that was  substituted for propylene glycolis (Marketletter June 18, 2007).

The contaminant is used for anti-freeze and brake fluid. The local  manufacturer of the affected over-the-counter product, My Pikin Baby  Teething Mixture, Lagos-based Barewa Pharmaceuticals, has been closed  down by the NAFDAC (Marketletter December 15, 2008). A similar case in  1990 led to about 200 infant deaths, the current fake drug incident has  so far claimed at least 30 lives, according to local reports.