Genentech warns of fake Avastin cancer drug

WASHINGTON (AP) - The maker of the cancer drug Avastin is warning doctors and patients about counterfeit vials of the product distributed in the U.S. but made abroad.

Roche's Genentech unit says the fake products do not contain the key ingredient in Avastin, which is used to treat cancers of the colon, lung, kidney and brain.

A spokeswoman said the counterfeit drug had been distributed to healthcare facilities in the U.S., but it was unclear how much was in circulation or where it might be concentrated. The company is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to track down the counterfeit vials and analyze their contents.

"We're still analyzing what it is; we know it doesn't contain the active ingredient in Avastin," said Genentech spokeswoman Charlotte Arnold.

Arnoldsaid the company was alerted to the problem by foreign health regulators and believed the counterfeits were imported. Avastin is administered in doctor's offices and hospitals.

The counterfeit products do not have "Genentech" printed on their packaging, which appears on all FDA-approved cartons and vials of the drug. Additionally, legitimate Avastin contains a six-digit lot number with no letters. All the text on the product's packaging is in English.

The company believes drugs labeled with the following lot numbers may be fake: B86017, B6011 and B6010.

In a related action, the FDA said late Tuesday it had contacted 19 medical practices that may have purchased unapproved drugs, including counterfeit Avastin, from a company called Quality Specialty Products. The foreign supply company may also do business as Montana Health Care Solutions, the agency said.

Genentech packages Avastin in the U.S. and is based in South San Francisco. Its parent company, Roche Holding AG, is based in Basel, Switzerland.