The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has delisted 101 drugs from circulation in Nigeria.

In a statement on Tuesday, the agency said the affected products are no longer permitted for manufacturing, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale, or use in the country.

NAFDAC said the action followed requests by market authorisation holders to withdraw some products, while others were suspended or cancelled by the agency.

The agency noted that a suspension applies when the conditions under which a registration licence was issued are no longer met, while a cancellation occurs when NAFDAC revokes a product’s licence.

The delisted products cut across a wide range of medicines and health items from antimalarials (various artemether/lumefantrine formulations) and cough treatments to vaccines (such as Cryomarex Rispens HVT), insulin and growth-hormone injectables (like Norditropin), diabetes medicines (Januvia/Janumet), inhalers, and eye drops.

Checks showed that some popular medicines are on the list, including Flagyl suspension and tablet widely used to treat diarrhoea; Penicillin G Sodium Sandoz powder, prescribed for bacterial infections; Artemether/Lumefantrine, an antimalarial; and Elisca eye drops, used in treating eye infections.

“This is to inform the General Public that the following products are approved for withdrawal, suspension and cancellation by NAFDAC,” the statement reads.

“They are therefore no longer permitted for manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale and use within Nigeria.

“Please note that the certificate of registration of a product is said to be withdrawn when the use of the Certificate of Registration of that product is discontinued upon request of the Market Authorization Holder.”