Fake Augmentin circulates in Nigeria after GSK exit

Nigeria’s drug regulator has warned of counterfeit versions of one of the country’s most widely used antibiotics, Augmentin, which has faced supply difficulties nearly three years after GlaxoSmithKline pulled back its local operations.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control said it had identified falsified Augmentin 625mg tablets circulating in the market, carrying batch number AC3N. The agency’s alert followed complaints to GSK, the original manufacturer, which confirmed the products were counterfeit after reviewing packaging, images and a video circulating online.

According to the investigation, the genuine batch AC3N was produced in August 2023 at GSK’s Worthing facility in the UK and packed the following month. However, the suspect products bore manufacturing dates of September 2025 and expiry dates of September 2028, details GSK said do not match its production records. Additional discrepancies included textual errors and poor packaging seals.

Augmentin, a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, is a frontline antibiotic in Nigeria, used to treat a range of bacterial infections. Health officials warn that counterfeit versions may contain little or none of the active ingredient—or harmful substitutes—raising the risk of treatment failure and accelerating antimicrobial resistance.

The regulator has ordered nationwide surveillance and a mop-up of suspect stock, while urging hospitals, pharmacies and distributors to quarantine affected batches and report cases.

The alert highlights a broader market shift triggered by GSK’s 2023 exit from Nigeria, where it had operated since 1971. The company moved to a distributor-led model amid foreign exchange shortages, rising competition from imports and declining sales. Its departure disrupted supply chains for several high-demand brands, including Augmentin, which is now largely imported.

That transition has contributed to higher prices and less predictable availability, creating conditions that can enable counterfeit products to enter the market, industry analysts say.

Local manufacturers have begun to move into the gap. Lagos-based MeCure Industries said in 2024 it received regulatory approval to produce amoxicillin-clavulanic acid tablets—the first locally manufactured alternative to Augmentin following GSK’s exit. The company has since ramped up production at its beta-lactam facility as part of a broader expansion strategy.

Still, analysts note that domestic capacity remains limited relative to demand, particularly for widely prescribed antibiotics. Nigeria continues to rely heavily on imports for essential medicines, exposing the market to both price volatility and quality risks.

NAFDAC called on healthcare providers to step up vigilance, warning that the circulation of falsified antibiotics could worsen already rising resistance levels in the country.