The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sounded the alarm over a batch of falsified pain relief drugs, OxyContin 80mg tablets, detected in Switzerland’s unregulated market, that contain a dangerous synthetic opioid instead of the expected oxycodone.
The counterfeit product, imitating a legitimate painkiller authorized for sale in Poland, poses a severe overdose risk due to its undeclared nitazene compounds, which are hundreds of times more potent than oxycodone and linked to multiple deaths.
The falsified tablets, identified in Switzerland and reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) in February 2025 by Mundipharma, the genuine manufacturer, have triggered a global alert.
Laboratory tests by Zurich’s Drug Information Centre revealed the absence of oxycodone, replaced instead by a nitazene derivative—a class of synthetic opioids known for their extreme potency and high addiction potential.
According to a statement by NAFDAC, zonal directors and state coordinators in Nigeria have been mobilized to conduct surveillance and retrieve any of these counterfeit products found locally.
The agency said, “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.”
NAFDAC further warned, “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.”
The counterfeit batch, labeled with batch number 262174 and an expiry date of 12/2025, falsely claims to be manufactured by Mundipharma A/S.
The falsified OxyContin mimics the genuine product marketed in Poland but shows visible discrepancies: the batch and expiry dates appear on the front of the blister strip instead of the back, and their positions are reversed compared to the authentic version.
Nitazenes, primarily research chemicals, lack comprehensive data on their long-term effects but are known to cause respiratory failure and other life-threatening conditions, especially when mistaken for quality-assured medication by individuals with substance use disorders.
NAFDAC has urged importers, distributors, retailers, healthcare professionals, and consumers to verify the authenticity of medical products and source them only from licensed suppliers.
