Dailyreport
India forbids the export of addictive opioids to Nigeria
The Food and Drug Administration of India has banned two unregistered, highly addictive opioids that are illegally imported into some West African countries.India forbids the export of addictive opioids to Nigeria
Aveo Pharmaceuticals, a Mumbai-based business, was illegally exporting a dangerous combination of tapentadol and carisoprodol into Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote d’Ivoire, according to a BBC Eye investigation last week. This was causing a public health emergency in some West African countries.
India’s Food and Drug Administration conducted a sting operation on the indicted factory on Friday, resulting in the hammer falling on the drugs. The company is still facing legal action, but Aveo’s entire stock was seized and further production was halted.
The authorization to produce or export the medications has also been revoked by Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, India’s Drugs Controller General. All tapentadol and carisoprodol combinations are prohibited.
According to an update from the BBC, which cited a letter from Raghuvanshi, the authorization to produce and export the medications has been revoked with immediate effect.
The agency was quoted as stating that it was “fully prepared” to take action against anyone engaged in “illegal activities that tarnish the reputation of the country.” To stop the drugs from being supplied, the FDA has been directed to conduct additional inspections, the statement stated.
The muscle relaxant carisoprodol is so addictive that it is prohibited in Europe, whereas tapentadol is a potent opioid. The US permits short-term use (up to three weeks), but withdrawal results in hallucinations, anxiety, and insomnia.
Since an overdose can be fatal and the combination of the two drugs can cause seizures and breathing problems, it is not authorized for use anywhere in the world.
Notwithstanding the risks, opioids are widely accessible and inexpensive, making them common street drugs in many West African nations. According to export data, Aveo and its sister company, Westfin International, have sent millions of these tablets to countries in West Africa.
Nigeria, home to 225 million people, offers the largest market for these medications. According to estimates from the National Bureau of Statistics, approximately four million Nigerians abuse opioids in one way or another.
In order to conduct the investigation, the BBC also sent an undercover agent, pretending to be an African businessman who was trying to supply opioids to Nigeria, inside one of Aveo’s factories in India. There, they recorded Vinod Sharma, one of Aveo’s directors, displaying the same hazardous goods that the BBC had discovered being sold throughout West Africa.
The agent informed Sharma that he intended to sell to teenagers in Nigeria. “They loved the product,” he said. Sharma replied, “All right.” Two or three pills, he explained, would help users “relax” and get “high.” The product was “very harmful,” as Sharma later acknowledged. “Now, this is business,” he continued.
Following the publication of the BBC’s initial investigation, neither Sharma nor Aveo Pharmaceuticals responded to a request for comment. In Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria, the BBC also discovered pill packets bearing the Aveo logo being sold on the streets.
