Counterfeit Avastin: FDA Warns Of New Batch Of Fake Cancer Drug

The Food and Drug Administration is warning doctors about another counterfeit version of the cancer drug Avastin distributed in the U.S., the third case involving the best-selling Roche drug in the past year.

The FDA said in an online post that at least one batch of the drug distributed by a New York company does not contain the active ingredient in real Avastin, which is used to treat colon, lung, kidney and brain cancer. The drug was distributed by Medical Device King, which also does business as Pharmalogical. The vials are packaged as Altuzan, the Turkish version of Avastin that is not approved for use in the U.S.

The agency has also warned doctors as of last April regarding a similar case of fake Turkish Avastin distributed by a U.K. distributor according to CBS News.

Avastin is sold in 120 countries and manufactured and packaged at eight sites worldwide according to the Huffington Post. The drug had sales of $5.8 billion in 2012 and was Roche's second-best selling drug overall. The injectable drug usually sells for about $2,500 per vial.

The FDA warned doctors to be wary of drug prices that seem "too good to be true."

"Deep discounts may be offered because the product is stolen, counterfeit, substandard, or unapproved," the agency states.

In 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revoked a type of conditional approval for Avastin in breast cancer after clinical studies showed it didn't extend lives in breast-cancer patients. The FDA cited risks of the drug including severe high blood pressure, heart attacks and bleeding according to The Wall Street Journal.