The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has warned the public against falsified “Dr. Alfred Capsules” being sold through social media platforms after laboratory analysis found that the products had been adulterated with sildenafil citrate, a prescription-only medicine.
The FDA said the falsified capsules, marketed as a dietary supplement for male vitality, are not registered by the Authority and pose a potential public health risk.
The warning follows regulatory intelligence and enforcement operations through which the FDA identified an organised syndicate operating in Accra and Suhum that allegedly manufactures and distributes the falsified products across the country. Two suspects linked to the activity are currently on police enquiry bail and assisting with investigations.
The FDA said the falsified capsules are produced in unauthorised, unregulated and unhygienic environments, raising further concerns about their safety and quality.
Laboratory analysis conducted by the FDA’s Centre for Laboratory Services and Research (CLSR) confirmed the presence of sildenafil citrate in the falsified products.
Sildenafil citrate is a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor used as a prescription medicine in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men and pulmonary arterial hypertension.
The FDA stressed that the genuine Dr. Alfred Capsules do not contain sildenafil citrate. The authentic product is a registered dietary supplement manufactured by CV Al Manar Herbafit Jl. Imogiri, Bantul, DI Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and registered in Ghana by Unateus Ghana Limited.
The Authority said consumers may distinguish the falsified products from the registered version through several differences in packaging and capsule composition.
The registered product comes in 30-capsule packs, with clear and traceable batch numbers appearing on both the label and the base of the container. It also has intact tamper-evident sealing and a standardised wine-red capsule shell containing uniform off-white powder.
The falsified versions, however, may be sold in 30- or 60-capsule packs, have poor-quality printing, altered typography and fictitious FDA registration numbers. Their capsules may have transparent, black or red shells containing greenish-brown powder, while the bottles may lack the safety seals found on the genuine product.
The FDA has advised consumers to stop purchasing medicines, herbal remedies and dietary supplements from unverified online networks and social media accounts.
Pharmacies, herbal shops and distributors have also been directed to inspect their stocks and report any suspected falsified products to the FDA.
Anyone already in possession of the falsified Dr. Alfred Capsules has been advised to return them to the nearest FDA regional office.
The Authority said it is continuing market surveillance and digital monitoring to identify and remove remaining falsified products from circulation.
The FDA has urged anyone with information on the falsified capsules or other suspected falsified products to report them through its official channels.