The public has been warned by the National Agency for Food and Drug (NAFDAC) Administration and Control about fake Oxycontin 80mg (oxycodone hydrochloride), which was found in an unregulated market in Switzerland.
The agency posted the public alert with number 07/2025 on its website on Thursday. It said the issue of falsified medicine was reported to the World Health Organisation by the genuine manufacturer, MUNDIPHARMA, in February. It stated the fake medication copied the real OXYCONTIN 80mg licensed for sale in Poland, adding that the genuine OXYCONTIN (oxycodone hydrochloride) is a semi-synthetic opioid intended for the treatment of moderate to severe pain.
The Drug Information Centre in Zurich, Switzerland, tested samples of the fake product in a lab, and the WHO’s drug-checking agency concluded that the tablets contained a synthetic opioid that was probably a nitazene molecule instead of oxycodone. The strong synthetic opioids known as nitazene derivatives (such as metonitazene, isotonitazene, and fluonitazene) are mostly utilised in research because of their serious adverse effects and significant potential for addiction, according to NAFDAC. It emphasised the lack of knowledge on these drugs’ hazards, toxicity, side effects, and long-term impacts, stating that they may be hundreds of times more potent than oxycodone and that overdose is a serious risk.
According to NAFDAC’s statement available to BrandSpur Nigeria news today: “The identified product in this alert is confirmed as falsified on the basis that it deliberately/fraudulently misrepresented its identity, composition, or source. The falsified product imitates OXYCONTIN 80mg manufactured and marketed by MUNDIPHARMA in the Polish market. MUNDIPHARMA has confirmed that the product was falsified and was not produced by their company.
“This falsified product has been found to contain undeclared nitazene compounds, which pose a significant risk due to the high likelihood of adverse events, even in small doses. Nitazenes produce similar effects to other opioids. Their high potency carries a high risk of overdose and death. Using nitazene derivatives has been linked to several deaths.
“Mixing them with other depressants like alcohol or benzodiazepines can be very dangerous, leading to severe effects like respiratory depression, low blood pressure, coma, or even death,” it added.
According to the report, those with substance use disorders were especially at risk from this phoney product since they might mistake it for a legitimate medication.
According to NAFDAC, obvious inconsistencies were found in the fake product, including wrong batch placement and expired dates. In contrast to authentic OxyconTIN, which displays the batch and expiration date on the back of the blister strip, the fake product’s batch and date are visible on the front side of the blister strip.
In contrast to authentic OxyconTIN, which has the batch number on the left and the expiration date on the right, NAFDAC claimed that the fake product had the expiration date on the right and the batch number on the left. The agency claims that all of its state coordinators and zonal directors have been directed to carry out surveillance and recover any counterfeit medication goods discovered in their states and zones in Nigeria.
Continuing, NAFDAC stated that to prevent the importation, distribution, sale, and use of counterfeit OXYCONTIN pills, importers, distributors, retailers, healthcare providers, and consumers are hereby recommended to exercise caution and vigilance along the supply chain. It emphasised that the physical condition and legitimacy of products should be thoroughly examined and stated that all medical devices and products must be purchased from authorised or licensed vendors. It instructed consumers and healthcare professionals to contact the closest NAFDAC office, call 0800-162-3322, or send an email to sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng if they suspect the sale of counterfeit or subpar medications or medical devices.
According to the statement, BrandSpur Niger news accessed, patients and medical professionals is also urged to notify the closest NAFDAC office of any negative incidents or side effects associated with the use of medications or devices.
According to NAFDAC, patients and healthcare providers can also report to the agency by emailing pharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng, using the Med-safety application that can be downloaded from the Android and iOS stores, or using the E-reporting platforms on the NAFDAC website, www.nafdac.gov.ng.
