ECOMED Pharma Ltd, a winner of the 2023 Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, has firmly denied producing a batch of amoxycillin that has been flagged for serious health concerns. The batch in question, labeled with the number 4C639001, was recalled by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) after reports of adverse reactions among patients.
The company insists that the affected product, marketed under the name “DEEKINS Amoxycillin,” was not manufactured by ECOMED. Instead, it was cloned by Divine Kings Pharmaceuticals, a marketing firm based in Lagos. This revelation has sparked serious concerns within the pharmaceutical industry and raised questions about the safety of the drug in circulation.
NAFDAC Issues Public Recall
Earlier this week, NAFDAC issued a public notice, warning healthcare professionals and the public to avoid purchasing or administering the affected batch of amoxycillin. According to the agency, several serious adverse drug reactions were reported, including drowsiness, weakness, and other alarming symptoms. The alert, which was sent to healthcare providers across Lagos, emphasized the potential danger of using the contaminated product.
A hospital in Lagos confirmed that three patients had experienced severe reactions after being administered the amoxycillin batch. This prompted an immediate investigation and led to the recall.
“It Was a Fake Product” – ECOMED Pharma Speaks Out
Pharm. Ekene Christopher, Managing Director of ECOMED Pharma, addressed the controversy in an exclusive interview with Pharmanewsonline. He emphasized that the batch in question was a counterfeit, not produced by ECOMED.
“We want to reiterate here that the ‘DEEKINS AMOXYCILLIN’ with batch number 4C639001 in circulation was not produced by ECOMED PHARMA LTD. It is a fake product cloned by DIVINE KINGS PHARMA with our name on it,” Christopher said, categorically rejecting the claims that his company was responsible for the faulty batch.
He explained that his company had immediately alerted NAFDAC and initiated a recall of the product as soon as they discovered the issue. “We instituted this recall because our name is on the packs, and there is urgent need to immediately stop distribution of the products which poses health danger to the public,” he added.
A Broken Partnership and Growing Concerns
The situation has raised eyebrows about the integrity of business relationships within the pharmaceutical industry. Christopher revealed that ECOMED had been in a contract-manufacturing partnership with Divine Kings Pharmaceuticals, specifically to produce small quantities of DEEKINS AMOXYCILLIN for licensing purposes. The partnership, which began around five years ago, seemed to sour when complaints started to surface regarding adverse reactions to the product.
Christopher disclosed that in May 2024, his company had produced a batch of 20 packets of DEEKINS AMOXYCILLIN for Divine Kings to help with NAFDAC’s license renewal. However, it was only in November that serious concerns about the product’s safety began to surface. “Around November, we received a call from Kowa Hospital about incidences of adverse reactions—drowsiness, weakness, and other related symptoms,” Christopher said.
The ECOMED team responded quickly by sending their Pharmacovigilance team to investigate, and the team found that the product in question was indeed linked to the fake batch.
“We Were Deceived” – CEO of Divine Kings Under Investigation
Christopher went on to reveal that after the recall, over 790 packets of the fake DEEKINS AMOXYCILLIN were recovered from Divine Kings Pharmaceuticals. The company had only submitted 20 packets for the license renewal, leading to suspicions that the batch was being distributed illicitly.
The CEO of Divine Kings Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Kingsley Ekeanyanwu, has since been arrested by NAFDAC and is under investigation for his involvement in the counterfeit operation. According to Christopher, Ekeanyanwu was unable to account for the additional 790 packets found in circulation, and his claims about distribution from Onitsha remain unverified.
ECOMED Pharma Assures Public of Product Safety
In response to the scandal, Pharm. Christopher sought to reassure the public of the safety and quality of ECOMED’s products. He stressed that the company is well-regarded for its high standards, with many companies, doctors, pharmacists, and patients attesting to the quality of their drugs.
“Our products are known for their quality, and this incident does not reflect the standards we uphold at ECOMED Pharma,” Christopher emphasized. He also highlighted that the company would be taking extra precautions in the future when engaging in contract-manufacturing agreements.
“Moving forward, we will exercise more caution in signing business deals with marketing companies. We will conduct thorough background checks before entering any contract agreements,” he explained.
