Global Incidents of Fake Cancer Medicine Distribution and Harm
Global Incidents of Fake Cancer Medicine Distribution and Harm
Fake cancer medicines have been documented in many parts of the world. Manufacturers of fake medicines are found in several countries (examples have been well documented in India and China, although these countries also produce high-quality medicines) and these medicines have been shipped to wealthy and poor regions alike. Efforts to collect data and document cases of fake cancer medicines have only begun recently, meaning that the true scale of the issue is yet to be determined. The following cases are recent well-documented examples.
Substandard asparaginase (leukemia treatment) shipped to almost 100 countries from 2018 to 2023: An investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism uncovered several brands of asparaginase – a treatment used for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common type of childhood cancer – were poor quality, failing to treat the cancer as intended or even worsening symptoms due to bacterial contaminants. Anecdotal incidents from doctors in Brazil, Haiti, Italy and Saudi Arabia revealed the death of children following consumption of these brands. Many doctors had reported that their hospitals were using cheaper alternatives to the gold-standard asparaginase brands due to shortages and pricing issues, and that their government regulatory systems did not conduct thorough checks to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the imported alternative drugs. Despite the outrage following the global investigation, several brands selling substandard asparaginase remained in the market, putting 70,000 children at risk.
2025 investigation of generic cancer drugs in sub-Saharan Africa: A 2025 Lancet Global Health study tested seven cancer drugs classified as essential medicines by the WHO in private and public healthcare facilities in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Malawi. These drugs included cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, ifosfamide, leucovorin, methotrexate, and oxaliplatin, most of which are given intravenously. Out of 189 non-expired samples, 1 in 5 failed quality testing, containing either too much or too little active ingredient. The failed medicines came from 20 generic products produced by 17 manufacturers, most of which are based in India. These substandard drugs have circulated globally over the past six years, reaching more than 100 countries across both low- and high-income regions, from Nepal and Ethiopia to the U.S. and UK.
Falsified Keytruda, from 2018 to 2024: Two individuals were arrested for attempting to sell falsified Keytruda, a medicine used to treat many cancers, to U.S. buyers from 2018 to 2024.
Counterfeit Avastin in 2012: In the U.S., 19 clinics unknowingly purchased counterfeit Avastin, an injectable cancer drug, through the gray market, sourcing the drug from wholesalers and distributors in Turkey, the UK, Switzerland, Egypt, Denmark, and Barbados. Although the drug was not approved for sale in the U.S., the drug was in the legal supply chain in several countries. This incident was a turning point in the U.S., highlighting the dangers of sourcing medicines outside the tightly regulated U.S. supply chain.