The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has blacklisted an Indian firm, Aveo Pharmaceuticals Pvt Limited, over alleged production and importation of dangerous opioid combinations into West Africa, including Nigeria.
In a statement signed by its Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC accused the Indian company of producing and distributing Tafrodol and Royal 225—drugs containing a harmful mix of Tapentadol, an opioid, and Carisoprodol, a banned muscle relaxant.
NAFDAC stated that the substances pose severe health risks, including respiratory failure, seizures, overdose, and death.
According to NAFDAC, investigations revealed that the company, managed by Vinod Sharma on the outskirts of Mumbai, is responsible for manufacturing and distributing the substances.
The agency noted that an investigation conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation “exposed how packets of these drugs, branded with the Aveo Pharmaceuticals logo, have been found on the streets of Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire.
