The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has cautioned against the use of Weight Rapid Loss Capsules.
NAFDAC gave the warning in a statement signed by its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye on Sunday.
According to the agency, the drug has been found to have potential to cause cancer.
The statement further revealed that result of laboratory analysis showed that the drug, manufactured by Ingi Oman, contain banned substance “phenolphthalein”, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognised as unsafe.
The capsule, being marketed as “the most effective weight loss supplement” and sold through social media platforms like Instagram, also contain microbial growth above permissible limits, NAFDAC said.
“Phenolphthalein has been found to be toxic to genes, as it can cause damage or mutations in the DNA. Studies have also shown its potential carcinogenic risks.”
“NAFDAC implores consumers to stop the purchase and use of the product.
“Members of the public in possession of the product should discontinue use or sale, and submit stock to the nearest NAFDAC office.”
Similarly, Adeyeye encouraged healthcare professionals and consumers to report any adverse effect experienced with the use of the product to the nearest NAFDAC office.
Also, Consumers are advised to report adverse effect via pharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng or E-reporting platforms available at www.nafdac.gov.ng.
The director-general urged the public to also report any incident concerning the use of the drug via the Med-safety application, which can be downloaded on android and IOS stores.