Does this tracker include every falsified medicine incident worldwide?

No. It lists documented incidents involving high-cost oncology and specialty medicines that have been published by WHO, EMA, FDA or investigated by ICIJ. Many incidents involving other therapeutic categories, or that were never publicly disclosed, are outside its scope. Treat it as a curated record of verified, sourced events, not an exhaustive global database.

If my batch number isn't on this list, is it definitely genuine?

Not necessarily. A batch not appearing here simply means no public alert has been issued for it yet. Absence from this tracker is not proof of authenticity. You should still verify the batch through the manufacturer's own verification channel or your national regulator before relying on it.

Why do some entries list countries where the genuine product isn't normally sold there?

Falsified batches are often deliberately mismatched to the market where they are found — a batch number legitimately produced for one country's supply may be labelled as if intended for another, which is itself one of the red flags investigators use to identify falsification.

How often is this tracker updated?

It is updated as new WHO Medical Product Alerts, EMA or FDA safety notices, or credible investigative reporting on falsified oncology and specialty medicines are published. Each entry carries the date it was reported and the primary source, so you can check the underlying alert directly.

What does it mean when WHO says a detection occurred in the 'unregulated market'?

It means the falsified product was found moving outside licensed pharmacies, hospitals and authorised wholesalers — for example through informal traders or unlicensed online sellers — rather than through the country's official, regulator-supervised distribution chain.

Can a genuine batch number later be found in a falsified shipment?

Yes. Some falsifiers copy a real, valid batch number from genuine stock rather than inventing a new one, particularly when they have tampered with stolen product. This is why a matching batch number alone does not guarantee authenticity — packaging, seals and physical inspection also matter.

Does WHO name the exact manufacturer defect for every alert?

Not always. Some alerts, particularly more recent ones, are published with the lot numbers and detection countries but without a detailed public breakdown of the physical defect. Where WHO or the manufacturer has published specific tell-tale signs, this tracker lists them; where it has not, only the confirmed facts are shown.

Who reviews this page?

This page is maintained by our pharmacovigilance and compliance desk and cross-checked against primary sources — WHO Medical Product Alerts, EMA and FDA notices, and the ICIJ investigation — before each update. It is reviewed periodically to keep the entries and links current.

WHO falsified medicine alerts: an oncology and specialty drug tracker

Name: WHO falsified medicine alerts: an oncology and specialty drug tracker
Creator: Pharmacy Remedy
Published: 2026-07-28

This page tracks documented falsified batches of high-cost oncology and specialty medicines, compiled from official WHO Medical Product Alerts, EMA and FDA notices, and the ICIJ investigation. It lists the exact lot numbers, detection countries and reported defects for each incident, so clinicians, pharmacists and patients can check whether a specific batch has been publicly flagged.

Last reviewed: 2026-07-28Reviewed by: Pharmacy Remedy Pharmacovigilance & Compliance Desk

Falsified medicines reach patients through informal supply chains, stolen stock and mislabelled shipments. This tracker consolidates the publicly documented incidents involving oncology and specialty biologics so that a specific lot number can be checked against a verified record.

What this tracker is and how to use it

This tracker lists documented falsification events for high-cost oncology and specialty medicines, each one published by WHO, EMA or FDA, or reported by the ICIJ investigative consortium. Every entry names the specific lot or batch numbers involved, the countries where the falsified product was detected, and the physical or documentary defects that gave it away.

A batch appearing here means that specific lot number was reported falsified by a regulator or manufacturer — it does not mean the genuine product is unsafe. Genuine stock of the same medicine, produced under valid batch numbers and moving through licensed distribution, is unaffected. Use this page to cross-check a lot number you have been given, not to judge a medicine as a whole.

Which falsification alerts have been documented?

Date	Product	What was reported	Source
3 July 2026	Darzalex	Lots MYS7381 and STV1K01 confirmed by Janssen as invalid batch numbers; detected in the Maldives and Mexico in May–June 2026. Lot STV1K01 showed visible particulate matter.	WHO Medical Product Alert 3/2026
16 June 2026	Jakavi	A falsified version of Jakavi was reported and published by WHO as a medical product alert.	WHO Medical Product Alert 2/2026
15 December 2025	Ibrance	A falsified version of Ibrance was reported and published by WHO as a medical product alert.	WHO Medical Product Alert 7/2025
14 May 2025	Imfinzi	Lots BAZR (genuine batch is India-only), BBEG (genuine batch is Egypt-only) and AVZT (unknown to AstraZeneca) detected in Iran and Türkiye.	WHO Medical Product Alert 3/2025
23 December 2024	Imfinzi	Lot BAVX detected in Lebanon, Armenia and Türkiye (unregulated market), later also India, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. Some vials contained no active ingredient. Tells: DataMatrix centred instead of upper-right, paler green strength rectangle, deformed crimp.	WHO Medical Product Alert 5/2024
18 August 2017	Avastin and Sutent	Falsified versions were seized in Kampala, supplied as tablets although the genuine products are an injection (Avastin) and a capsule (Sutent).	WHO Medical Product Alert 3/2017
16 April 2014	Herceptin	Vials stolen from Italian hospitals were tampered with and re-introduced into the supply chain. Batches: H4311B07, H4329B01, H4284B04, H4319B02, H4324B03, H4196B01, H4271B01, H4301B09, H4303B01. Signs: liquid found in powder vials, mismatched batch/expiry, disturbed stoppers.	EMA press release
7 February 2013	Altuzan	Counterfeit lots B6022B01 and B6024B01 identified; at least one batch was found to contain no active ingredient.	FDA / Genentech notice
February 2012	Avastin	Counterfeit Avastin circulated in the US containing no bevacizumab; FDA sent letters to 19 medical practices. Genuine labels say "Genentech", lot numbers are digits-only and all text is in English.	FDA / Genentech DHCP letter
2019–2024	Keytruda	WHO has recorded 36 product reports of falsified Keytruda since 2019. In Mexico, Cofepris issued alerts in 2022 and September 2024, and a 2024 raid in Guadalajara recovered 12,500 doses of counterfeit medicines including Keytruda. In India and Nepal, 519 empty vials were recovered, and 8 of 9 samples tested by Merck contained no pembrolizumab.	ICIJ investigation

Why are Türkiye detections listed here?

Two of the WHO alerts above — 5/2024 and 3/2025, both concerning Imfinzi — name Türkiye as one of the countries where a falsified batch was detected, and both alerts specify that the detection was in the unregulated market. That distinction matters and we will not gloss over it.

Product moving through licensed Turkish pharmaceutical wholesalers (ecza depoları) under notification in the national İlaç Takip Sistemi (İTS, medicine tracking system) is a different supply chain entirely from the informal, unregulated channel those two alerts describe. İTS assigns and tracks a unique serial number for every pack that moves through the licensed system, which is exactly the record that lets a specific unit be distinguished from an unregulated one.

Because of this, any buyer sourcing a medicine that has ever appeared in a WHO alert — regardless of country — should ask the supplier for İTS notification records covering the exact serial numbers being shipped, not just a general assurance that the product is licensed in Türkiye.

What patterns repeat across these alerts?

Vials found to contain no active ingredient at all
Stolen genuine stock that was tampered with and re-introduced into the supply chain
The wrong dosage form entirely — for example tablets sold in place of an injection or capsule
Differences in artwork or DataMatrix code placement compared with the genuine pack
Invalid batch numbers, or batch numbers that belong to a different market than where the product was found
Visible particulate matter in the solution

What should I do if I suspect a falsified product?

Stop use and quarantine the product — do not discard it, as it may be needed as evidence
Photograph the carton, the vial and the DataMatrix code clearly
Contact the manufacturer's product quality or medical information line
Report the suspected product to your national medicines regulator
Email the World Health Organization at rapidalert@who.int
Ask the supplier for full traceability records, including serial-level tracking, for the batch in question

Frequently asked questions

Sources

WHO — Full list of medical product alerts — retrieved: 2026-07-28
WHO — Substandard and falsified medical products fact sheet — retrieved: 2026-07-28
European Medicines Agency — retrieved: 2026-07-28
FDA — Counterfeit medicine — retrieved: 2026-07-28
ICIJ investigation — retrieved: 2026-07-28
İTS — İlaç Takip Sistemi — retrieved: 2026-07-28

This page is editorial information about pricing systems, regulation and product authenticity. It is not medical advice and not an offer of sale. All prescription medicines require a valid prescription and, where applicable, an import permit issued by your own national authority.

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