Unfortunately, unscrupulous people are entering into high cost counterfeits of reputable manufacturer's medicines. Avastin (made by Genentech) was the subject of an FDA news release yesterday because the FDA identified a counterfeit version of the 400 mg/16 ml bottles. (see the full release at ww.fda.gov).
The FDA sent letters to 19 medical practices about counterfeit product and what it looks like. Apparently, the counterfeits have batch numbers that start with B6010, B6011 or B 86017 and are labeled with Roche as the manufacturer, instead of Genentech. Stupid crininals, the FDA-approved version of Avastin is marketed by Genentech. The truly unfortunate thing is that some patients suffering from cancer or macular degeneration may have received an injection from a vial with no active drug in it. Great work by the FDA and shame on the conterfeiters.
The experience with Avastin is NOT the first example of counterfeit drugs. Learn more about Conterfeit drugs click here