The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted Nigerians to the circulation of suspected counterfeit diabetes medicines being passed off as Forxiga (dapagliflozin), warning that their use could pose serious health risks.
The alert followed the discovery of the fake products during post-market surveillance by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which notified NAFDAC after identifying medicines with names and packaging designed to mimic its genuine Forxiga brand.
The warning was contained in Public Alert No. 036/2026, released by the agency on its official X handle.
According to NAFDAC, genuine Forxiga (dapagliflozin) is prescribed for the management of Type 2 diabetes and is also indicated to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalisation in patients with heart failure, as well as slow the progression of chronic kidney disease.
The agency warned that counterfeit medicines may contain incorrect ingredients, the wrong dosage, harmful substances, or no active pharmaceutical ingredient at all, making them potentially life-threatening.
“Use of counterfeit medicines can result in treatment failure, worsening of existing medical conditions, and other severe health complications,” the agency cautioned.
NAFDAC disclosed that the suspected counterfeit products were detected in parts of Eastern Nigeria.
One of the fake products, branded Forzigar, bears batch number ATE-262, with a manufacturing date of March 2025 and an expiry date of February 2028. It falsely lists Alliaance Biotech as the manufacturer.The second counterfeit product, labelled Foziga, carries batch number GIB405-, with a manufacturing date of June 2024 and an expiry date of May 2027, while Medico Remedies Ltd is listed as the manufacturer.
The agency clarified that the authentic product is marketed only as Forxiga (dapagliflozin), a film-coated tablet manufactured by AstraZeneca.
NAFDAC said investigations are ongoing to identify the source of the counterfeit medicines and dismantle their distribution network. It added that all zonal directors and state coordinators have been directed to intensify market surveillance and conduct mop-up operations to remove the fake products from circulation.
The agency urged consumers and healthcare professionals to purchase medicines only from licensed pharmacies and authorised distributors, and to carefully examine product labels and packaging before use.
It also encouraged the public to promptly report any suspected counterfeit or substandard medicines to the nearest NAFDAC office or through the agency’s dedicated telephone lines, email channels, and online adverse drug reporting platforms.
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