Counterfeit Botox seized in Cincinnati

Customs officers at a Cincinnati express consignment facility have seized multiple shipments of counterfeit Botox injections, a wrinkle treatment sold by drug maker Allergan.

The shipments, manifested as “leggings” and “facial gift,” were coming from Shenzhen, China, and were destined to private residences in Alabama, Texas, and Utah, according to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) – a form of botulinum toxin – is restricted by the FDA and cannot be imported into the US without proper documentation. The FDA has issued an import alert detailing which pharmaceutical companies produce legitimate botulinum toxin products and how these products can legally be imported into the US.

At least some of the imported product is in Turkish packaging (pictured), reminiscent of a notorious incident a few years back when counterfeit vials of Roche’s cancer drug Avastin (bevacizumab) – bearing the Turkish trade name Altuzan as well as Turkish packaging and with no active ingredient – were found in the US market.

https://www.securingindustry.com/pharmaceuticals/counterfeit-botox-seized-in-cincinnati/s40/a11006/#.XhWebtJ97IV