By Sunday Ameh
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against the use of suspected counterfeit diabetes medicines designed to imitate the popular drug Forxiga (dapagliflozin), saying the fake products pose serious health risks.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, the agency said the counterfeit medicines were discovered in the Nigerian market following surveillance carried out by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.
According to NAFDAC, AstraZeneca alerted the agency after identifying products bearing names closely resembling Forxiga and imitating the company’s brand identity and logo.
The agency explained that genuine Forxiga (dapagliflozin) is prescribed to help control blood sugar levels in patients with Type 2 diabetes, reduce cardiovascular deaths and hospitalisations in heart failure patients, and slow 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. 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 warned.
The agency said the suspected counterfeit products were detected in Nigeria’s eastern region.
It identified one of the fake products as Forzigar, bearing batch number ATE-262, with a manufacturing date of March 2025 and an expiry date of February 2028, allegedly manufactured by Alliaance Biotech.
The second counterfeit product, Foziga, bears batch number GIB405-, with a manufacturing date of June 2024 and an expiry date of May 2027, and lists Medico Remedies Ltd as its manufacturer.
NAFDAC said investigations have commenced to trace the source and distribution channels of the counterfeit medicines, while zonal directors and state coordinators have been directed to intensify surveillance and remove the fake products from circulation.
The agency advised consumers and healthcare professionals to purchase medicines only from licensed pharmacies and authorised distributors, carefully inspect product labels before use, and report any suspected counterfeit or substandard medicines to the nearest NAFDAC office.
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