Sindh Drug Testing Lab flags nine cancer medicines as fake, substandard, unregistered

Karachi: The Sindh Drug Testing Laboratory has declared nine medicines used in cancer treatment to be fake, substandard, or unregistered, raising serious concerns over patient safety.

Director of the Sindh Drug Testing Laboratory, Syed Adnan Rizvi, said laboratory analysis found that some of the medicines did not contain the required active pharmaceutical ingredient, making them potentially ineffective for treating cancer.

He further revealed that some of the products did not carry a Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) registration number, indicating they were not properly registered.

Rizvi also noted that some oncologists reportedly specify particular pharmacies on their prescriptions, although he did not provide further details or allege wrongdoing by any individual or pharmacy.

He warned that counterfeit and substandard cancer medicines pose a serious threat to patients' lives, as ineffective treatment can allow the disease to progress and reduce the chances of successful recovery.

Authorities have not yet released the names of the medicines or announced any enforcement action following the laboratory findings.