The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced the withdrawal, suspension, or cancellation of registration certificates for 101 pharmaceutical products.
The agency made the announcement on Tuesday September 30 through its official website, stating that the affected products are no longer permitted for manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale, or use in Nigeria.
According to NAFDAC, a registration certificate may be withdrawn when the Market Authorisation Holder voluntarily discontinues the use of the product. It may be suspended when the conditions upon which the certificate was issued are no longer met, pending a final decision by the agency. A certificate is cancelled when it is fully revoked by NAFDAC.
Out of the 101 products, only four were cancelled, all belonging to Gentle Hills Limited, while the rest were voluntarily withdrawn by their authorisation holders. The breakdown of the affected items shows a heavy concentration among a few key pharmaceutical companies. Servier Pharmaceuticals Development Ltd recorded the highest number, with 25 products affected. Healthline Limited followed with six, while MSD Idea Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Ltd and Pfizer Specialties Limited each had five. Other companies on the list included Sanofi Aventis Nigeria Ltd, Fensyl MHP Consulting Ltd, Blooms Pharmaceutical Ltd, Novartis Nigeria Limited, AstraZeneca Nigeria Limited, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical Nigeria Ltd, Novo Nordisk Pharma, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, and several others with smaller entries.
The products largely focus on chronic and infectious disease treatments. Medications for cardiovascular conditions, particularly those containing Perindopril and its various combinations such as Coveram, Coversyl, and Triveram, featured most prominently with twelve entries. The combination of Atorvastatin and Perindopril alone accounted for five. Drugs for diabetes were also prominent, especially those featuring Sitagliptin or Saxagliptin, either alone or in combination with Metformin, which appeared several times. In the area of infectious diseases, antimalarial drugs such as Artesunate/Amodiaquine and Artemether/Lumefantrine appeared repeatedly, as did certain antiretroviral combinations like Lamivudine, Nevirapine, and Zidovudine.
Other medicines on the list included nasal decongestants containing Oxymetazoline Hydrochloride, antipsychotic treatments such as Paliperidone, and antihypertensive drugs like Valsartan.
The majority of the affected products were in tablet form, which accounted for nearly three-quarters of the list. Syrups, suspensions, injectables, and sprays also appeared, though less frequently, while capsules and eye drops made up the smallest proportion.
NAFDAC has urged the public, distributors, and healthcare providers to take note of the update and ensure full compliance.
