FDA warns public after falsified Opdivo cancer injection is found imported and sold in Maldives

The Maldives Food and Drug Administration (MFDA) has issued a public warning after a counterfeit cancer injection was found imported and sold in the Maldives.

In a notice published in the Gazette, the MFDA said the falsified product was being circulated under the brand name Opdivo, an injection manufactured by Swords Laboratories Unlimited Company of Ireland. The agency said the counterfeit version was brought into the country in imitation of the genuine product.

According to the notice, the falsified batch carries the number 8081399, and the import, sale and use of this batch is strictly prohibited in the Maldives. The MFDA urged buyers and sellers to verify batch numbers carefully and immediately stop use if the product matches the falsified batch.

Opdivo (nivolumab) is used to treat several cancers, including melanoma, lung cancer and kidney cancer. The drug works by blocking the PD-1 protein on T-cells, helping the immune system target and destroy cancer cells.

Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) had also warned the public to remain vigilant after fake batches of the cancer drug Darzalex were detected internationally.