DRAP Declares Brexin Tablet Batch W68C Spurious in Pakistan: No Active Ingredient Found
DRAP declared Brexin Tablet batch W68C spurious on 22 October 2026 after a Karachi lab found no piroxicam. See the alert details and what to do with your pack.
DRAP declared Brexin Tablet batch W68C spurious on 22 October 2026: the Drug Testing Laboratory in Karachi found no piroxicam in it, and the maker named on the pack says it did not make it. Do not take tablets from this batch. If you already have, speak to a doctor or pharmacist and report it to DRAP.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan issued the notice as Rapid Alert No I/S/10-26-44. We read the alert on DRAP's own website on 22 October 2026. It says the sample does not contain the active ingredient named on the label, which is piroxicam with beta-cyclodextrin, an anti-inflammatory painkiller. This is not medical advice.
Batch W68C of Brexin Tablet was found to contain no active ingredient
The laboratory tested a sample and declared it spurious or falsified. A spurious tablet imitates a real brand but was not made by that brand's owner. This one had none of the painkiller written on its label, so a patient would swallow a tablet that treats nothing.
| Detail | What DRAP's alert says |
|---|---|
| Alert number | I/S/10-26-44, action date 22 October 2026 |
| Product | Brexin Tablet |
| Batch | W68C |
| Declared ingredient | Piroxicam with beta-cyclodextrin |
| Lab finding | Does not contain the active ingredient on the label |
| Maker named on the pack | GlaxoSmithKline Pakistan Ltd, F/268 SITE, Karachi, under licence from Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., Italy |
| Laboratory | Drug Testing Laboratory (DTL) Sindh, Karachi |
The company named on the pack has disowned the sample
DRAP says the manufacturer named on the pack disowned the sample. That is the usual sign of a counterfeit: the printed name belongs to a real company, but the real company did not make the tablets.
The Area Provincial Inspector of Drugs in Karachi sent the sample for testing. The laboratory declared it spurious under sections 3(z-b)(ii) and 3(z-b)(i) of the Drugs Act, 1976. We explain what spurious, substandard and falsified mean in the meaning of each DRAP drug label.
DRAP has ordered its field force to seize the batch
DRAP directed its Regulatory Field Force and the provincial Drug Control Departments to run surveillance across the supply chain and seize the falsified product. Pharmacies, hospitals and clinics that received this batch are asked to watch their stock.
The alert does not say how many packs were found, where else they were sold, or whether any patient was harmed. We could not find those details on DRAP's page, so we do not state them.
This is a second Brexin alert this year, with a different batch
In June 2026 DRAP named Brexin 20 mg batch 1207863 as spurious. Batch W68C is a new batch number and a new alert. A pack that does not match one batch can still match the other, so check both.
Our earlier page on the spurious Brexin, Danzen, Novidat and Tonoflex-P batches lists the June batches. Another alert from the day before covers Velosef, Augmentin, No-Spa Forte and Mucaine batches.
What to do if you hold a Brexin pack
Read the batch number printed on the strip or box, usually beside the expiry date. If it says W68C, stop using it and keep the pack. Pharmacists and doctors can advise on a replacement. Patients should not decide on their own what to take instead.
- Find the batch number on the strip and the box.
- If it reads W68C, do not use any tablet from it.
- Keep the pack and the receipt. Do not throw them away.
- Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your pain treatment.
- Report the pack to DRAP or the National Pharmacovigilance Centre, the route our page on reporting counterfeit medicine to DRAP explains.
DRAP's consumer advice is short: do not use the product, speak with a doctor if you had a problem with it, report the incident, and buy medicines only from licensed pharmacies or authorised outlets. Ask a pharmacist if you are unsure. The DRAP helpline is 0800-03727 on weekdays from 8 am to 4 pm.
Why does a fake painkiller matter? Someone with joint pain who takes an empty tablet gets no relief, or may delay seeing a doctor about a problem that needs attention. That risk is the reason DRAP publishes batch numbers. A short check at home takes one minute and costs nothing.
Common questions
Which Brexin batch did DRAP declare spurious on 22 October 2026?
Batch W68C of Brexin Tablet, in Rapid Alert No I/S/10-26-44.
What did the laboratory find?
It found the sample does not contain the active ingredient named on the label, piroxicam with beta-cyclodextrin.
Is every Brexin pack unsafe?
No. The alert names batch W68C only. Other batches, including the June batch 1207863, have their own alerts or none. Check the batch number.
Where was the sample found?
The Area Provincial Inspector of Drugs in Karachi referred it. The Drug Testing Laboratory Sindh in Karachi tested it. DRAP does not say where the pack was sold.
Who should I tell if I bought this batch?
Report it to DRAP or the National Pharmacovigilance Centre, and talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Can I return the pack to the pharmacy?
DRAP does not say. Keep the pack and ask the pharmacy and DRAP what they want you to do with it.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 22 October 2026. We read DRAP's Rapid Alert No I/S/10-26-44 on dra.gov.pk and its October 2026 post list, which gave the alert's date, product, batch, finding, manufacturer named, laboratory, actions and advice. We did not test any tablet or see any pack. DRAP's page gives no count of packs found and no sale locations. The helpline hours come from DRAP's home page. Alerts can be updated, so read the current text on DRAP's site.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
