NAIROBI, Kenya – The Ministry of Health has raised the alarm over falsified cancer medicines circulating internationally, warning patients and health facilities to stay vigilant after nine suspect batches of a widely used breast cancer drug were flagged.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) said it had identified confirmed and suspected counterfeit batches of IBRANCE (palbociclib) following an alert from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
IBRANCE is a prescription-targeted therapy used in the treatment of certain types of advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
According to the regulator, laboratory analysis of the flagged batches found no active pharmaceutical ingredient, rendering the products ineffective and potentially dangerous to patients.
“The confirmed falsified batch numbers are FS5173, GS4328, LV1850 and TS2190. A further five batches — GK2981, GR6491, GT5817, HJ8710 and HJ8715 — are considered suspicious and likely to be falsified,” the PPB said.
The counterfeit products claim to have been manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, listing a US address in Mission, Kansas.
However, the Board said the packaging showed clear signs of tampering, including spelling errors, poor-quality printing and inconsistencies in security features.
Among the red flags identified were security foils displaying the Pfizer logo in black ink instead of the approved design, capsules marked “PBC 125” in black ink or bearing no markings at all, and unusual capsule colours — including bright orange — that do not match authentic IBRANCE.
While none of the falsified batches has so far been detected in the Kenyan market, the PPB said the warning was issued as a precautionary measure to prevent the products from entering the country and to protect patients.
“The alert is meant to raise awareness among health workers, suppliers and the public, and to safeguard the integrity of Kenya’s medicine supply chain,” the regulator said.
The Board urged hospitals, procurement agencies, distributors, pharmacists and pharmaceutical technologists to remain alert and report any suspected counterfeit products immediately.
Members of the public were also advised to report any unusual medicines or adverse drug reactions.
PPB reminded all stakeholders that medicines should only be sourced from licensed manufacturers, importers and retailers, warning that procurement from unlicensed sources is illegal and poses serious risks to patients.
The regulator said it would take firm legal and regulatory action against anyone found distributing falsified medical products, and would continue working with other government investigative agencies to block counterfeit medicines from reaching patients.
PPB conducts routine post-marketing surveillance to monitor the quality, safety and effectiveness of medicines available in Kenya.
