The Drug Controller General of India has abruptly banned the production of tapentadol and carisoprodol, the two drugs earlier found to be illegally exported to African nations, such as Ghana and Nigeria, and blamed for causing a serious public health crisis of opioid addiction.
The issue which came under the spotlight as part of a recent British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) investigation that exposed a racket, where an Indian producer was exporting the unlicensed addictive drugs.
India’s Drugs Controller General, Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, confirmed the decision to revoke permissions for the drugs.
Recall that a BBC investigation uncovered that Aveo Pharmaceuticals had been illegally exporting a combination of tapentadol and carisoprodol to countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and Cote D’Ivoire.
Since the revelation, Indian authorities have since raided the company’s Mumbai facility, seizing the entire stock of the drugs.
Dr. Raghuvanshi’s directive, dated Friday, cited the BBC’s findings and noted the severe health risks. Officials had also assessed “the potential of drug abuse and its harmful impact on population” before implementing the ban.
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Tapentadol is a potent opioid, while carisoprodol is a muscle relaxant so addictive it has been banned in Europe. In the United States, carisoprodol is only approved for short-term use of up to three weeks due to severe withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety and hallucinations.
No country licenses the combination of these two drugs, as they can cause breathing difficulties, seizures, and fatal overdoses. Despite the dangers, they have become popular street drugs in parts of West Africa, where they are affordable and easy to obtain.
Export records indicate that Aveo Pharmaceuticals and its affiliate, Westfin International, shipped millions of these tablets to Ghana and other West African nations. The BBC also discovered Aveo-branded pills being sold openly on the streets of Nigeria and in towns across Côte d’Ivoire.
With a population of 225 million, Nigeria is the largest market for these opioids, with an estimated four million people abusing some form of opioid, according to the country’s National Bureau of Statistics.
As part of their investigation, the BBC sent an undercover reporter posing as a businessman seeking to supply opioids to Nigeria. The reporter filmed Aveo director Vinod Sharma inside the company’s factory, showcasing the same dangerous products that were found circulating in West Africa.
