By Eshioromeh Sebastian, Abuja
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised the alarm over falsified OxyContin 80mg tablets circulating in international drug markets, warning that the counterfeit pills contain a dangerous synthetic opioid linked to fatal overdoses.
The agency’s emergency alert, issued on its website, follows a World Health Organization (WHO) warning after Swiss authorities discovered the fake batch in unregulated markets. Laboratory tests confirmed the tablets contain no actual oxycodone, the genuine active ingredients but instead contain nitazenes, a class of ultra-potent synthetic opioids that can be hundreds of times stronger than morphine.
The counterfeit OxyContin, bearing batch number 262174 and an expiry date of December 2025, wears the packaging of the authentic product manufactured by Mundipharma for the Polish market. However, critical differences expose the fake pillsโmost notably the placement of the batch and expiry dates on the front of the blister pack rather than the back, where they appear on genuine OxyContin.
More alarmingly, chemical analysis revealed the tablets contain nitazene compounds, which carry an extreme risk of respiratory failure, coma, and death, even in small doses.
NAFDAC emphasised that these falsified tablets pose a severe threat not only to chronic pain patients who may unknowingly consume them but also to individuals with opioid addiction who might seek them out illicitly.
Nitazenes, originally developed for research purposes, have been implicated in numerous overdose deaths across Europe and North America due to their unpredictable potency and high risk of dependency.
The agency has mobilised its zonal and state offices to conduct immediate surveillance and seize any falsified OxyContin found in Nigerian markets. NAFDAC also urged pharmacists, hospitals, and consumers to exercise extreme caution, advising that all medications should be sourced from licensed suppliers and that packaging should be carefully inspected for irregularities.
This latest alert adds to Nigeria’s growing concerns over falsified medicines, coming just weeks after NAFDAC warned about counterfeit Noristerat injections and a fake version of the malaria drug Cikatem in circulation. The agency has called on the public to report any suspicious drugs through its toll-free line (0800-162-3322), email (sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng), or the Med-Safety mobile app.
Healthcare professionals have been further advised to monitor patients for signs of opioid overdose and report any adverse reactions to NAFDACโs pharmacovigilance team. With synthetic opioids increasingly infiltrating global drug supplies, the agency stressed that public vigilance is critical to preventing unnecessary deaths. Authorities fear that without swift action, these deadly counterfeits could find their way into Nigeriaโs pharmaceutical black market, where regulation remains a persistent challenge.
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