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Beware Of Fake Oxycontin In Circulation, NAFDAC Warns Public

Published

6 months ago

March 21, 2025

Editor

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has alerted the public on falsified Oxycontin 80mg (oxycodone hydrochloride) which it says was detected in an unregulated market in Switzerland.

The public alert with No. 07/2025 was uploaded on the agency’s website on Thursday.
The agency said the issue about falsified medicine was reported to the World Health Organisation by the genuine manufacturer, MUNDIPHARMA, in February.

It said the falsified product imitated the genuine OXYCONTIN 80mg authorised for sale in Poland, adding that the genuine OXYCONTIN (oxycodone hydrochloride) is a semi-synthetic opioid indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe pain.

It said laboratory tests of samples for the falsified product were conducted by the Drug Information Centre in Zurich, Switzerland, and that WHO, DIZ’s drug-checking service determined that the tablets did not contain oxycodone but a synthetic opioid likely to be a nitazene compound.

According to NAFDAC, Nitazene derivatives (e.g., metonitazene, isotonitazene, fluonitazene) are potent synthetic opioids, primarily used in research due to their high addiction potential and severe side effects.

It said these substances could be hundreds of times stronger than oxycodone, posing a high overdose risk, stressing that limited information is available on their risks, toxicity, side effects, and long-term consequences.

“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,” NAFDAC said.

It said that this falsified product posed a particular risk to individuals with substance use disorders who might perceive this falsified product as a safe and quality-assured medicine.

NAFDAC said that visible discrepancies were observed on the falsified product such as the placement of the batch and expiry dates on the counterfeit product were incorrect.

It added that the falsified product batch and expiry date are visible on the front side of the blister strip, adding that genuine OXYCONTIN has the batch and expiry date visible on the back of the blister strip.

NAFDAC stated that on the falsified product, the expiry date is on the left and the batch number is on the right, pointing out that genuine OXYCONTIN has the batch number on the left and the expiry date on the right.

According to NAFDAC, all its zonal directors and state coordinators have been instructed to conduct surveillance and retrieve any falsified products of this medicine found within their zones and states in Nigeria.

It said that importers, distributors, retailers, healthcare professionals, and consumers are hereby advised to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain to avoid importation, distribution, sale, and use of falsified OXYCONTIN tablets.

NAFDAC said that all medical products/ medical devices must be obtained from authorised/licensed suppliers, stressing that products’ authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked.

It advised healthcare professionals and consumers to report any suspicion of the sale of substandard and falsified medicines or medical devices to the nearest NAFDAC office, or call NAFDAC on 0800-162-3322 or via email: sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng.

It said that healthcare professionals and patients are also encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of medicinal products or devices to the nearest NAFDAC office.

NAFDAC said that healthcare professionals and patients could also report to the agency through the use of the E-reporting platforms available on the NAFDAC website www.nafdac.gov.ng or via the Med- safety application available for download on android and IOS stores or via e-mail on pharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng

NAN

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NiMet Predicts Three-day Rain, Thunderstorms From Monday

Published

9 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

News

JUST IN: Ooni Visits Olubadan-designate Ladoja In Ibadan

Published

15 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, on Sunday, paid a visit to the Olubadan designate, Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The PUNCH reports that Oba Ladoja will be installed as the 44th Olubadan on Friday, September 26, 2025, following the demise of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, who joined his ancestors on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the age of 90 years.

The two paramount rulers are currently exchanging pleasantries.

Details later…

News

JUST IN: FG Revokes 1,263 Mineral Licenses Over Unpaid Fees

Published

15 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has announced a fresh revocation of not less than 1,263 mineral licenses.

These licenses, which will now be deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System portal of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.

The minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, gave the revocation announcement in a statement issued by his special assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Sunday in Abuja.

The minister explained that the directive was issued due to the companies’ failure to comply with the requirement of paying their annual service fees.

The latest revocation brings the total mineral titles revoked under the current administration to 3, 794 including,619 mineral titles revoked for defaulting in paying annual service fees and 912 for dormancy last year.

By opening up the areas formerly covered by these licenses, the revocation is expected to spur fresh applications by investors looking for fresh opportunities.

The statement read, “Not less than 1,263 mineral licenses will be deleted from the portal of the Electronic Mining Cadastral system of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, MCO, following their revocation by the Federal Government.

“These include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.”

Approving the revocation following the recommendation of the MCO, the Minister said applying the law to keep speculators and unserious investors away from the mining sector would make way for diligent investors and grow the sector.

“The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder, while financially capable and industrious businessmen are complaining of access to good sites, is over.

“The annual service fee is the minimum evidence that you are interested in mining. You don’t have to wait for us to revoke the license because the law allows you to return the license if you change your mind,” the minister said.

He warned that the revocation does not mean the Federal Government has pardoned the annual service debt owed by licensees, adding that the list will be forwarded to the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission to ensure that debtors pay or face the wrath of the law.

“This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the license application processes with speculative activities.”

In the recommendation to the minister, the Director-General of the MCO, Simon Nkom, disclosed that there were 1,957 initial defaulters when the MCO published the intention to revoke licences in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025.

He informed the minister that the gazette was distributed to MCO offices nationwide to sensitise licencees and encourage them to comply within 30 days in compliance with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and relevant regulations.

He observed that the delay in the final recommendation was due to complaints of several licensees who claimed to have paid to the Federal Government through Remita and had to be reconciled.

Earlier this month, the DG MCO had hinted that more mining licences would be revoked as part of ongoing efforts to sanitise the solid minerals sector and protect investors from fraudsters.

According to Nkom, the clean-up exercise, which covers expired, speculative, and inactive titles, is necessary to make room for genuine investors and ensure compliance with the law.

This is part of ongoing efforts at sanitising the sector since the inception of the Tinubu administration, and the salutary effects of the reforms are massive and manifest despite the attempts to push back by defaulters and their agents.