Suspect arrested selling fake hypertension drugs
National Drug Authority headquaters
By Our reporter
KAMPALA – The National Drug Authority (NDA), in collaboration with the Uganda Police, has arrested an individual selling illegal hypertension drugs using Artificial Intelligence-generated videos mimicking doctors at the Uganda Heart Institute.
According to Abiaz Rwamwiri, NDA spokesperson, while HyperGuard is being promoted as a cure for hypertension, it is not recognized and is not among the drugs approved for use in Uganda.
Rwamwiri noted that the drug is counterfeit, with suspicious packaging and no informational leaflet for users. During a raid on the suspect’s outlet, authorities recovered over 500 bottles of HyperGuard, along with another illegal product, Long Jack XXXL, purportedly marketed as a sexual booster for men.
Dr. Okello, a consultant at the Heart Institute, described the situation as concerning, noting that some patients had already started using HyperGuard. He urged anyone who has taken the drug to seek medical testing.
Experts stress that there is no definitive cure for hypertension.
Dr. John Omagino, Executive Director of the Uganda Heart Institute, explained that high blood pressure can cause heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure, which require varied treatment approaches rather than a single cure.
With statistics indicating that one in four Ugandan adults has hypertension, Dr. Omagino recommends a combination of lifestyle changes, proper diet, exercise, adequate sleep, and regular check-ups. He warned that no magical pill exists and cautioned the public against false claims of a cure.
Preliminary reports indicate that each 10ml bottle of HyperGuard was sold for 165,000 shillings. NDA has sent samples of the drug to the laboratory to determine its true contents.
