The Pharmacy and Poisons Board on Saturday cautioned Kenyans against purchasing suspicious batches of falsified Herceptin 440mg.
Herceptin 44omg is a popular drug used in the treatment of breast cancer and stomach cancer to stop the cells from growing.
In its statement, PPB noted the original drug was manufactured in Germany but its counterfeit had been detected in Kenyan markets.
According to the government agency, the counterfeit version of the product was not authorized to be in the market and its packaging and labelling aspects were all fake.
The warning was issued following PPB’s consultation with brand owners who confirmed that the falsified version of the drug did not emanate from the company's stores.
“Consequently, the PPB cautions the public against the use, supply, sale or distribution of the product,” PPB noted in a statement.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board further stated that investigations had been launched to arrest all those involved in the distribution and sale of the drug.
“PPB has initiated a rapid response and heightened surveillance of the market to ensure that safety and public health is protected,” the drugs agency noted.
"We urge members of the public and healthcare providers to report and volunteer information on suspicious activities that may be related to such."
“We would like to assure the public that PPB has established a robust market surveillance and control system that continuously monitors the quality and safety of medical products in the Kenyan market.”
The latest announcement comes barely a month after Kenyans were cautioned against purchasing Benylin pediatric 100ml cough syrup Batch No 329304.
This is after the product was recalled due to quality concerns arising from an unacceptably high level of diethylene glycol.
In its announcement, PPB warned that diethylene glycol was a contaminant that is toxic to humans and can potentially lead to death.
