BBC World Service
Indian authorities have banned two very dependent opioids in response to the BBC investigation, which revealed that they encourage the public health crisis in parts of Western Africa.
In a letter seen by the BBC from an Indian drug controller, Dr. Rajee’s Singh Raghuvanshi said that permission to produce and export medicines was withdrawn
BBC Eye found a pharmaceutical company, Aveo, exported illegally A harmful mix of tapantadol and carisoprodol in countries like Ghana, Nigeria and Cote d’Avoire.
The Indian Food and Drug Administration announced that the company factory in Mumbai has since been remodeled and his entire stock seized.
Circular Dr. Raghuvanshi, dated Friday, said the BBC investigation to his decision to ban all the combinations of upholstered and carisoprodols, which they were to be carried out with the current effect.
He said this also followed after officials considered “the potential of drug abuse and its adverse effect on the population.”
Tapentadol is a powerful opioid, and Carisoprodol is a muscle relaxant, so it is infectiously banned in Europe.
Carisoprodol is approved for USA in the US, but only for short periods up to three weeks. The symptoms of withdrawal include anxiety, insomnia and hallucinations.
The combination of the two drugs is not licensed to use nowhere in the world as they can cause difficulty breathing and attacks, and an overdose can kill.
Despite the risks, these opioids are popular street remedies in many West African countries, as they are so cheap and widely available.
Exporting data publicly available show that Aveo Pharmaceuticals, together with a sister -called company called Westfin International, sent millions of these tablets to Ghana and other West African countries.
BBC World Service also found packages of these tablets with Aveo logo for sale on the streets of Nigeria, and in Ivoiri cities and cities.
Nigeria, with a population of 225 million, provides the largest market for these tablets. It is estimated that about four million Nigerians abuse some form of opioids, according to the National National Office for Statistics.
As part of the investigation, the BBC also sent a secret operative – presenting as an African businessman who wants to supply opioids in Nigeria – within one of the Aveo factors in India, where they recorded one of Ave’s directors, Vinod Sharma, showing the same dangerous products found by BBC for sale in West Africa.
In the secretly recorded footage, the operative says Sharmi that his plan is to sell pills to teenagers in Nigeria “who everyone loves this product”.
Sharma answers “OK” in the answer, before explaining that if users take two or three tablets at a time, they can “relax” and agree that they can get “high”.
Towards the end of the meeting, Sharma says, “This is very harmful to health,” adding that “today, this is a job.”
Sharma and Aveo Pharmaceuticals did not respond to the request for comment when the initial investigation of the BBC was published.
The Indian Food and Drug Administration announced that the stab surgery saw that the entire stock of Aveo had been seized and further production stopped in a statement on Friday. Another legal action will be taken against the company, it is added.
The Agency said that “fully prepared” was taken to take measures against everyone involved in “illegal activities that diminish the reputation of the country.”
The FDA is instructed to do further inspection to prevent medication supply, it is said.
