Geneva: A pain-management opioid under prescription, OXYCONTin 80mg, a falsified batch has been the source of a medical product alert issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Found on Switzerland’s uncontrolled market, the falsified good was reported to WHO in February 2025 by the legitimate manufacturer, MUNDIPHARMA. Although it does not contain oxycodone, the main ingredient in OXYCONTIN, the counterfeit medicine is supposed to mimic the authorized version licensed in Poland. Instead, analysis conducted by Zurich’s Drug Information Centre (DIZ) revealed the presence of a potent synthetic opioid most likely belonging to the nitazene family.
Primarily used for research purposes, nitrogen-containing compounds such as metonitazene and isotonitazene are rather potent opioids. Extremely dangerous because they are significantly more powerful than oxycodone, they have a high chance of causing an overdose and fatal consequences. Their inclusion in spurious drugs presents a sporadic and serious injury to human health as a result of the minimal understanding about their toxicity and long-term effects.
Alternate marking on the counterfeit OXYCONTIN assists in identifying it. In contrast to the genuine one, whose back packaging of the blister strip indicates batch numbers and expiry dates, the counterfeit indicates these information face-up. Additionally, the batch number and expiry date are printed in reverse compared to the authentic product. MUNDIPHARMA has authenticated that they did not manufacture this product.
There are pretty serious risks that come with the use of this counterfeit drug. While their strength makes them a lot more dangerous, nitazene opioids work in much the same way that other potent drugs do. They can cause loss of consciousness, severely low blood pressure, slowed breathing, and death even in very small quantities. Mixing nitazenes with other central nervous system depressants, like alcohol or benzodiazepines, increases the risk of deadly interactions even higher.
Earlier reported in some European countries, such as Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, and Ireland, counterfeit OXYCONTIN has raised concerns regarding its wider distribution. The WHO urges the public in general, regulatory agencies, and healthcare professionals to be vigilant. Physicians and pharmacists are urged to report national regulatory agencies any suspected counterfeit medication they encounter. Individuals who receive OXYCONTIN from an unauthorized source and experience unforeseen side effects or suspect an overdose should seek immediate medical attention as nitazene poisoning may be implicated.
particularly where the spurious drug has been detected, WHO is calling for increased monitoring of pharmaceutical supply chains. The agency strongly advises against purchasing OXYCONTIN or any other medicine from unauthorized suppliers. Any person with information on the production or distribution of such spurious medicines is encouraged to contact WHO at fastalert@who.int.
Public health officials emphasize the need once again of obtaining drugs from only authorized sources in order to ensure efficacy and safety. It ensures Global cooperation is crucial to prevent the proliferation of further harm and protect individuals from life-threatening health risks as harmful counterfeit drugs are increasingly being used.
