Many of you may have received this press release from Genentech dated Feb. 14, 2012, or been informed in some way that counterfeit AvastinŽ has made its way into the United States and been distributed.
Roche and Genentech have been informed that a counterfeit product, labeled as Avastin (bevacizumab), has been distributed in the United States.
The counterfeit product is not safe or effective and should not be used. Chemical analyses of the counterfeit vials tested to date have confirmed the product does not contain the active ingredients for Avastin.
Patient safety is Roche and Genentech's primary concern. We are working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and law enforcement to aid their evaluations, determine the source of the counterfeit drug, and prevent its further distribution...
If a healthcare provider has any product in their possession that they suspect may be counterfeit, they should immediately contact the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) at 1-800-551-3989 (www.fda.gov/OCI) or Genentech's Product Quality Assurance department at 1-800-334-0290.
For more information, please see the FDA's notice regarding this issue at www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/ucm291960.htm.
I applaud Genentech for taking swift action in engaging the FDA and the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations. More so, I applaud Genentech for the press release to quickly assist pharmacists, nurses, hospitals, oncology clinics, private oncology practices, and all those involved in the care of oncology patients to this critical development.
I know I am not alone in my feelings and reaction to this news. I am absolutely outraged at the people who have perpetrated this act, for this is not just the act of a single, unscrupulous individual. There have to be many people involved to conceive the idea, produce a counterfeit product, label, box, and then sell and ship the product. I do not understand how anyone can reconcile monetary gain and harming other human beings. It is not just the potential physical harm, but the basic sense of trust that can be irrevocably harmed. Our patients and all human beings deserve more.
The 2013 Nurse Compensation Survey Results Are In Michelle Bragazzi, BS, RN, 5/3/2013 32 In February, TheONC surveyed more than 600 oncology nurses to find out more about their careers. We wanted to know if they felt adequately compensated and satisfied within their ...
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