The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has noted media reports relating to the use of Avastin Injection and hereby informs the members of the public, especially the health care providers and policy makers as follows:
On Monday, June 3, 2019, NAFDAC received a complaint from a concerned Nigerian that ten (10) patients at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna lost their eye sight following administration of Avastin 100mg injection.
In response to the complaint, an investigation was immediately initiated. The members of the team met and discussed with the Management of the National Eye Centre, Kaduna on 3rd June, 2019. The following facts were established:
• Avastin 100mg injection was administered on the ten (10) patients at National Eye Centre, Kaduna.
• National Eye Centre, Kaduna used Avastin Injection to treat patients with severe retina or macular pathologies.
• The ten (10) patients were recalled by National Eye Centre, Kaduna for observation and management following their complaints.
• The indications for which NAFDAC registered Avastin injection are metastatic colorectal cancer, metastatic breast cancer, advanced metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer, advanced and/ or metastatic renal cell cancer, ovarian cancer and cervical cancer.
• Therefore, the use of Avastin injection at the National Eye Center was an off-label use, i.e., it is not indicated on the label by the manufacturer or approved for treatment of eye ailments by NAFDAC
• Avastin 100mg injection manufactured by F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Kaiseraugst 4303 Switzerland is registered by NAFDAC with NAFDAC Registration Number A6-0123. Avastin 400mg injection manufactured by F. Hoffman-La Roche, Mannheim, Germany is also registered with NAFDAC Registration Number A6-0101.
One packet of Avastin injection in stock at the hospital was taken for laboratory analysis to ascertain the quality of the product. The report of analysis revealed that the Avastin injection conforms to quality specifications.
Health care providers are implored to ensure that Avastin injection is used as indicated by the company and as registered by the Agency unless there is a future scientific review of the indication for the product.
