CEO of KAMA Group calls for relentless fight against fake drugs
Addressing a press conference in Accra Monday, Dr Addo called on all stakeholders to assist the FDA to check the menace of fake drugs on the market.
Commenting on the issue of fake drugs imported into the country from China which had been confiscated by the FDA, Dr Agyekum-Addo expressed the readiness of the KAMA Group Limited to produce only genuine and high quality drugs for the public.
He advised the public to always ensure that they bought drugs from certified chemical or pharmaceutical shops or companies.
The FDA recently seized a large consignment of drugs allegedly imported into the country from China by one Madam Rita Fordjor.
The drugs are fake stimulant appetisers known as Trex-Orix Forte originally manufactured by Kama Company Limited in Ghana.
KAMA has, since 2006, been licensed by Almirall Prodesfarma, a Spanish company, to produce the original Trex-Orix for the local and some West African markets.
According to Dr Addo, the fake Trex-Orix had the same packaging as the original, a situation which he said made it difficult to differentiate the original from the fake.
He, however, called on consumers to look out for the batch number of the original, which had been labelled TF0413, with the manufacturing date of February 2013 and expiry date of January 2016.
The fake Trex-Orix, however, has a batch number of 120701, with a manufacturing date of July, 2012 and expiring date July, 2016.
Another difference was that the fake, which was reddish in colour and had a pungent smell, was watery, unlike the original which was pinkish in colour, had a flowery flavour and was thicker.
After testing the fake in the KAMA laboratory, the CEO said it was observed that one of the most important active ingredients in the original Tres-Orix Forte, known as cyproheptadine oratate used for the treatment of allergies and other allergic reactions, including hay fever, was not present in the fake drug.
“I wish to emphatically state that Kama is the sole licensee of the product with the FDA and, therefore, it becomes illegal for any other person to manufacture it, either locally or outside Ghana, and distribute same,” Dr Addo said.
The Executive Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana, Mr Kwabena Asante Offei, said the association was strongly against the activities of fake importers and manufacturers and commended the FDA for its efforts.
The CEO of Starwin Ghana, Mr Kwasi Yirenkyi, in an address, said the activities of fake importers and manufacturers constituted a big setback for their work.
Story by Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
