A pharmaceutical to treat certain types of cancer, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, has allegedly been imported to Sri Lanka using a fake Waiver of Registration (WOR), purportedly issued by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), The Sunday Morning learns.

It is alleged that the Ministry of Health has purchased 2,200 injections of this medicine, imported by the same company that brought in the fake immunoglobulin. 

More than 2,000 of the injections have reportedly been used in patient treatment. 

Each vaccine dose has been procured for $ 152 and the Ministry of Health has expended over Rs. 100 million for the entire stock.

When contacted, NMRA Chairman Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama told The Sunday Morning that the revelation had been made by former CEO of the NMRA Dr. Vijith Gunasekera, who has since lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). 

According to him, the former CEO has denied issuing such a WOR and the CID is currently conducting an investigation.

When asked whether an internal investigation was being conducted by the NMRA, the Chairman stated that there was no necessity for one since the matter was being handled by the CID. 

“We have changed the medicine approval process. Instead of individual approval, we have established a committee comprising specialists for approval. The WORs, if necessary, are also being issued by the committee,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Association of Health Professionals (AHP) President Ravi Kumudesh noted that the alleged medicines had been imported by the same company behind the immunoglobulin racket. “The medicine has been imported through a fake WOR,” he stressed.

State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) General Manager Dinusha Dasanayake emphasised that the SPC only imported medicines for which NMRA registration had been issued or for WORs issued properly by the NMRA.