The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted the public to the circulation of suspected counterfeit versions of Forxiga® (dapagliflozin) in the Nigerian market, warning that the fake medicines could pose serious health risks.
The agency said the suspected counterfeit products were identified during surveillance conducted by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, the manufacturer of the genuine drug.
In Public Alert No. 036/2026, published on Thursday, August 6, NAFDAC disclosed that AstraZeneca notified the agency after discovering products with names similar to Forxiga® and packaging that closely imitated the company’s branding and logo.
According to NAFDAC, genuine Forxiga® (dapagliflozin) is a prescription medicine used to improve blood sugar control in people living with Type 2 diabetes, reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalisation in patients with heart failure, and slow the progression of chronic kidney disease.
The agency warned that counterfeit medicines may contain the wrong ingredients, incorrect dosage strengths, harmful contaminants, or no active ingredient at all, potentially leading to treatment failure and other serious health consequences.
“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.”
NAFDAC said the suspected counterfeit products were found in Eastern Nigeria.
One of the products, branded Forzigar, carries batch number ATE-262, a manufacturing date of March 2025, an expiry date of February 2028, and lists Alliaance Biotech as the manufacturer.
The second product, labelled Foziga, bears batch number GIB405-, a manufacturing date of June 2024, an expiry date of May 2027, and lists Medico Remedies Ltd as the manufacturer.
The agency emphasised that the authentic medicine is marketed as Forxiga® (dapagliflozin), a film-coated tablet manufactured by AstraZeneca.
NAFDAC said investigations have commenced to trace the source and distribution channels of the suspected counterfeit medicines. It also directed its zonal directors and state coordinators to intensify surveillance and carry out mop-up operations to remove the fake products from circulation.
“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 agency stated.
The regulator advised consumers and healthcare professionals to purchase medicines only from licensed pharmacies and authorised distributors and to carefully examine drug labels and packaging before use.
NAFDAC also urged members of the public to report suspected counterfeit or substandard medicines through its offices nationwide, dedicated telephone lines, email channels, or its online adverse event reporting platforms.