The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised alarm over the circulation of falsified Gold Vision Oxytocin Injection 10IU in Nigeria, cautioning healthcare professionals and the general public against its use due to grave health risks.

In its latest public notice (Public Alert No. 028/2025), NAFDAC disclosed that the falsified product carries a fake registration number, A4-9566, and is purportedly manufactured by Anhui Hongye Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. located in Bengbu, Anhui Province, China, and marketed by Gold Vision Medicals in Enugu, Nigeria.

According to the agency, the product was discovered during a risk-based sampling survey activity. Further investigations also uncovered three other falsified injections — A-tocin, Extocin, and Claxitodin — all allegedly manufactured by the same company and bearing the same falsified NAFDAC registration number. None of the products appear in NAFDAC’s official registered products database.

Grave Health Risks

NAFDAC warned that the use of unregistered or falsified Oxytocin injections poses serious health hazards to mothers and their newborns. Such products may contain incorrect doses, no active ingredient, or even toxic contaminants. The risks include:I

• Ineffective uterine contractions during childbirth
• Severe postpartum haemorrhage (PPH)
• Increased need for blood transfusions or surgery
• Maternal death in cases where bleeding cannot be controlled

The agency noted that poor-quality oxytocin can delay or completely fail to stop bleeding after delivery, which is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality.

Call for Vigilance

NAFDAC urged all healthcare professionals, pharmacists, and consumers to exercise vigilance and avoid using the falsified products. Suspicious medicines or medical devices should be reported immediately to the nearest NAFDAC office, via the toll-free line 0800-162-3322, or by email at sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng.

The agency reiterated its commitment to safeguarding public health, stressing that it would continue its nationwide surveillance and enforcement efforts to rid the Nigerian market of falsified and substandard medical products.