NAFDAC Delists 101 Drugs from Circulation in Nigeria

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has officially delisted 101 drugs from circulation across Nigeria.

The announcement was made in a statement on Tuesday, specifying that the affected products are no longer permitted for manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale, or use in the country.

Reason for Delisting

According to the agency, the action follows both voluntary withdrawal requests by market authorization holders and regulatory suspensions or cancellations initiated by NAFDAC.

“A suspension applies when the conditions under which a registration licence was issued are no longer met, while a cancellation occurs when NAFDAC revokes a product’s licence,” the statement said.

Drugs Affected

The delisted products cover a wide range of treatments, including:

Antimalarials: Artemether/Lumefantrine, ASAQ (Artesunate-Amodiaquine) formulations

Antibiotics: Flagyl suspension and tablets, Penicillin G Sodium Sandoz powder

Diabetes medications: Januvia, Janumet

Vaccines: Cryomarex Rispens HVT

Injectables: Norditropin growth hormone, insulin

Others: Betopic and Elisca eye drops, inhalers, and cough treatments

The agency clarified that a product’s certificate of registration is considered withdrawn when the Market Authorization Holder requests its discontinuation.

“This is to inform the General Public that the following products are approved for withdrawal, suspension, and cancellation by NAFDAC.

They are therefore no longer permitted for manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale, and use within Nigeria,” the statement read.

Impact on Public

NAFDAC urged consumers and healthcare providers to immediately stop using or selling the affected products and verify alternatives with licensed suppliers.