NAFDAC Warns Nigerians Against Fake Diabetes Drug in Circulation
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has warned Nigerians against the use of suspected counterfeit medicines being marketed as Forxiga, a drug used in the management of Type 2 diabetes.
NAFDAC issued the warning following the detection of the suspected fake products in the Nigerian market during surveillance conducted by AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures the genuine Forxiga.
In a statement shared on X on Thursday, the agency said AstraZeneca alerted it after identifying products bearing names similar to Forxiga and imitating the company’s brand identity and logo.
NAFDAC said genuine Forxiga, whose active ingredient is dapagliflozin, is prescribed to help control blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. It added that the medicine also helps reduce cardiovascular deaths and hospitalisations among patients with heart failure and slows the progression of chronic kidney disease.
The agency warned that counterfeit medicines could contain incorrect ingredients, inappropriate dosage strengths, harmful contaminants or no active pharmaceutical ingredient at all.
“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,” NAFDAC said.
According to the agency, the suspected counterfeit products were detected in the eastern part of Nigeria. One of them, 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, identified as 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 to establish the source and distribution network of the suspected counterfeit medicines, adding that all zonal directors and state coordinators had been directed to conduct surveillance and mop-up operations to identify and remove the products from circulation.
NAFDAC advised Nigerians and healthcare professionals to purchase medicines only from licensed pharmacies and authorised distributors. It also urged consumers to carefully examine the labels and packaging of medicines before purchasing or using them.
The agency further called on members of the public to report suspected substandard or falsified medicines to the nearest NAFDAC office.