August 7, 2026
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has warned Nigerians about suspected counterfeit Forxiga (dapagliflozin) tablets circulating in the market.NAFDAC said the fake products were discovered during market surveillance conducted by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.
The alert was issued on Thursday via Public Alert No. 036/2026 on the agency’s X handle.According to NAFDAC, AstraZeneca reported products with names and branding similar to Forxiga®.The agency explained that genuine Forxiga® is used to control blood sugar in Type 2 diabetes, reduce cardiovascular deaths and hospitalisation in heart failure patients, and slow chronic kidney disease.
“Counterfeit medicines may contain wrong ingredients, incorrect dosage, harmful contaminants, or no active ingredient at all. Using them can lead to treatment failure, worsening of illness, and serious health risks,” NAFDAC stated.
The agency said the fakes were found in Eastern Nigeria.The first, “Forzigar”, bears batch No. ATE-262, manufactured March 2025, expiring February 2028, and claims Alliaance Biotech as manufacturer.
The second, “Foziga”, bears batch No. GIB405-, manufactured June 2024, expiring May 2027, and lists Medico Remedies Ltd.NAFDAC said the authentic Forxiga® is a film-coated tablet made by AstraZeneca.It added that investigations into the source and distribution of the fake drugs have begun.
