Natalie Pharm on the Incident at Malayan Medical Center

Natalie Pharm has issued a statement regarding the incident at the Malayan Eye Medical Center involving the Swiss Roche company’s Avastin medication, which has led to several individuals experiencing severe vision issues. The company representatives clarified that the medication in question is not intended for intravitreal injection.

“We learned that this concerns the Swiss Roche company’s Avastin, which was used via intravitreal injection method.

First, it must be noted that this medication is not approved for intravitreal injection according to the registered usage instructions in Armenia. If a physician decides to administer it through injection, they bear full responsibility for any complications and side effects that may arise,” the statement reads.

“Secondly, it should be pointed out that the contents of one vial can be used for several patients; however, the medication must be administered immediately after opening the vial and then discarded. If the procedure has not been performed at that moment and the medication has been used over several days, there is a possibility of infection transmission from an open vial.”

The mentioned study likely stems from that open vial, but should an analysis of a closed vial confirm the presence of infection, which is unlikely given the high reputation and experience of the manufacturer, the issue should be referred not to Natalie Pharm but to the manufacturer, Swiss Roche.

In any case, Natalie Pharm takes no responsibility, as it is solely an importing company. We regret the health damage caused to the patients and wish them a speedy recovery,” the company’s statement concluded.

It is worth recalling that several patients in Yerevan are at risk of blindness due to a contaminated eye medication, which has resulted in a dangerous infection infiltrating their eyes following injection.