The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against the use of suspected counterfeit medicines being sold as Forxiga (dapagliflozin), a drug used in the management of Type 2 diabetes.
Gatekeepers News reports that the agency issued the warning in a post on X on Thursday, saying the suspected fake products could pose serious health risks to consumers.
NAFDAC said the counterfeit medicines were detected in the Nigerian market following surveillance carried out by AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures the genuine product.
According to the agency, AstraZeneca notified NAFDAC after identifying products bearing names similar to Forxiga® and imitating its brand identity and logo.
NAFDAC explained that genuine Forxiga® (dapagliflozin) is prescribed to help control blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes.
The agency added that the medicine also reduces cardiovascular deaths and hospitalisations among patients with heart failure and slows the progression of chronic kidney disease.
“Counterfeit medicines may contain incorrect ingredients, the wrong dosage strength, harmful contaminants, or may not contain the stated active ingredient,” NAFDAC said.
“Use of such products may result in treatment failure, worsening of the underlying medical condition, adverse health consequences, or other serious risks to patient safety.”
The agency said the suspected counterfeit products were detected in the eastern part of the country.
One of the products, identified as Forzigar, bears batch number ATE-262, with a manufacturing date of March 2025 and an expiry date of February 2028. The product lists Alliaance Biotech as its manufacturer.
The second suspected counterfeit product, Foziga, carries batch number GIB405-, with a manufacturing date of June 2024 and an expiry date of May 2027. It lists Medico Remedies Ltd as the manufacturer.
NAFDAC clarified that the authentic medicine is marketed as Forxiga® (dapagliflozin), a film-coated tablet manufactured by AstraZeneca.
The agency said it had commenced investigations into the source and distribution of the suspected counterfeit medicines.
“NAFDAC is investigating the distribution and source of the suspected counterfeit products. All zonal directors and state coordinators have been directed to conduct surveillance and mop-up activities to identify and remove any counterfeit product from circulation in Nigeria,” the statement said.
NAFDAC advised consumers and healthcare professionals to purchase medicines only from licensed pharmacies and authorised distributors.
It also urged the public to carefully inspect medicine labels and packaging before purchasing or using any product and to report suspected substandard or falsified medicines to the nearest NAFDAC office.
