A shocking scientific report has revealed that more than 100 countries, including Pakistan, received substandard and potentially harmful cancer treatment drugs. The study has raised global concern over the safety of chemotherapy medications widely used for treating various types of cancer.
According to the report, critical chemotherapy drugs failed to meet quality standards and were exported globally without proper testing. Surprisingly, the affected countries include not just developing nations like Nepal, Ethiopia, and North Korea, but also major developed nations such as the US, UK, and Saudi Arabia.
Experts found that many of these cancer drugs lacked the required active ingredients, while some even contained toxic elements, posing serious risks to patients. The medications were not limited to any specific age group, impacting children and adults alike battling breast, ovarian, leukemia, colorectal, and blood-related cancers.
One major concern revolves around Asparaginase, a drug mainly used for childhood leukemia, which reportedly affected around 70,000 children worldwide. The study tested seven key chemotherapy drugs — Cisplatin, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Ifosfamide, Leucovorin, Methotrexate, and Oxaliplatin — and found several batches either ineffective or of poor quality.
Shockingly, many of these drugs were administered without prior quality checks, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet issued any medical product alerts. Drug companies and regulatory authorities have also remained silent, while doctors and patients were kept unaware of the potential risks.
In response, US researchers developed a low-cost device called chemoPAD, which can check drug quality for just $2. It is already being used in several African countries. However, many developing nations still lack access to such tools. Experts are now urging the WHO to take immediate action by issuing alerts, listing faulty medications, holding companies accountable, and ensuring proper quality control systems in affected countries.