Nigerians have been warned not to use the medication known as the Weight Rapid Loss Capsule by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The alert, bearing the number 049/2022, and signed by Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, was sent to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday.
The medicine has been shown to have the potential to cause cancer, according to Adeyeye.
The head of NAFDAC noted that the medicine, produced by Ingi Oman, included the illegal chemical “phenolphthalein,” which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognized as dangerous.
She continued by saying that the capsule, which was billed as “the most effective weight loss supplement,” also had microbial growth that was too high to be legal.
She stated that “phenolphthalein has been found to be toxic to genes, as it can cause damage or mutations in the DNA. Studies have also shown its potential carcinogenic risks.
“NAFDAC implores consumers to stop the purchase and use of the product.
“Members of the public in possession of the product should discontinue use or sale, and submit stock to the nearest NAFDAC office.”
Adeyeye encouraged healthcare professionals and consumers to report any adverse effect experienced with the use of the product to the nearest NAFDAC office.
Consumers are also advised to report adverse effects via pharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng or E-reporting platforms available at www.nafdac.gov.ng.
The director-general urged the public to also report any incident concerning the use of the drug via the Med-safety application, which can be downloaded on android and IOS stores.