Fake malaria drugs found in Kenya

The Pharmacy & Poisons Board in Kenya has issued an alert warning that counterfeit versions of Duo-cotecxin and Cotecxin tablets have been detected in the country.

The counterfeit blister packs of the antimalarial products have been seized in some places in Nairobi, but could be available in any other places in the country, said the drug regulator.

Cotecxin (dihydroartemisinin) and the combination product Duo-Cotecxin (dihydroartemisinin and piperaquine) are important malaria treatments in Kenya, where the disease is estimated to cause 20 to 25 per cent of all deaths in the country.

The manufacturer of the two drugs, Beijing Holley Cotecxin Pharmaceuticals Company of China, said it had been unable to locate the source of the counterfeits but believed they originated in Asia.

A genuine dose of Duo-cotecxin costs about $5 in Kenya, but the counterfeited drug is being sold for less than $1.