DRAP Warns of Fake Axtin Softgels in Pakistan, Batch AXAF2301 With an Indian Maker's Name
DRAP Alert 52 of 12 November 2026 warns of fake Axtin softgels, batch AXAF2301, with an Indian maker's name. Genuine Axtin is made by Scotmann in Islamabad.
DRAP has warned that fake Axtin softgels, batch AXAF2301, are on sale in Pakistan. The real Axtin is made by Scotmann Pharmaceuticals in Islamabad. The fake pack names an Indian company as its maker, and DRAP says it is not enlisted, so it should not be used. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) posted Rapid Alert 52 on 12 November 2026.
Axtin is a softgel capsule sold as a health supplement. DRAP lists supplements of this kind as "enlisted" nutraceutical products, a lighter category than registered medicines. The fake copies the brand name and the look of the box. Below is how to tell the two apart from what the alert says, and what to do if you bought a pack.
DRAP Rapid Alert 52 covers Axtin softgels, batch AXAF2301
The alert is numbered I/S/11-26-52 and is dated 12 November 2026. Scotmann Pharmaceuticals (Health and OTC Division), I-10/3 Industrial Area, Islamabad, told DRAP that a "spurious therapeutic product" with a similar brand name and packaging is in the market. Spurious means a copy made to pass as the real product.
| Detail | Fake pack | Genuine product |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Axtin Softgels | Axtin Softgel |
| Batch on the pack | AXAF2301 | Not named in the alert |
| Maker printed | Axtin Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., IMT Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana, India | Scotmann Pharmaceuticals, Islamabad |
| Status with DRAP | Not enlisted | Enlisted |
| Endorsed by Scotmann | No | Yes |
The maker's name on the box is the quickest check
The clearest difference in the alert is the maker's address. A genuine pack should name Scotmann Pharmaceuticals in Islamabad. The fake names Axtin Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. DRAP says that product is "neither enlisted with DRAP nor manufactured, distributed, or endorsed" by Scotmann.
Turn the box over and read the small print before you open it. If it shows the Indian address, or batch AXAF2301, do not take the capsules. Keep the pack, because DRAP and drug inspectors need the batch and the seller's details.
Our guide to checking whether a medicine is registered with DRAP explains the registration and enlistment numbers printed on packs.
What we found on DRAP's alert page on 12 November
We opened the Recall Alerts list on DRAP's website at about 20:30 PKT on 12 November. Alert 52 for Axtin and Alert 53 for a fake Hexaxim vaccine were the two newest entries, both posted that evening. We opened the Axtin page and downloaded its signed PDF. Both opened quickly, and the PDF matches the web page on the batch, the Indian address and the Scotmann name.
One thing may confuse readers who share the link. The web address of the Axtin alert begins with "53", although the page title and PDF say Alert 52. The Hexaxim alert's address also begins with "53". Go by the title.
The PDF header gives DRAP's Islamabad number, +92 51 9255969, and the email gsms@dra.gov.pk. The alert does not say how many fake packs were found or in which city.
Four steps if you bought Axtin softgels
- Check the maker's name and batch number on the box and strip.
- If it shows batch AXAF2301 or the Haryana, India address, stop using it and keep the pack.
- If you feel unwell after taking it, see your doctor and report the reaction with DRAP's side effect form.
- Report where you bought it, using our guide to reporting a fake medicine to DRAP.
DRAP's advice to consumers is to buy only from licensed pharmacies, check the condition of the pack and ask a pharmacist if in doubt.
Supplements bought online carry the most risk
DRAP's alerts this autumn show fakes reaching buyers through online sellers as well as shops. Alert 48 on 30 October said a fake flu vaccine was being sold "through online channels". The Axtin alert does not say how the fake was sold, but the same caution applies.
Supplements are often bought without a prescription and from social media pages. That makes a copied pack easier to sell. A low price, a missing Urdu or English leaflet, or a foreign maker you have not seen before are reasons to stop and check.
Every DRAP alert of 2026 is in our DRAP recall alerts list. The same evening's vaccine warning is in our report on fake Hexaxim vaccine vials.
Genuine Axtin is an enlisted product, not a registered medicine
DRAP's alert calls the Scotmann product 'duly enlisted'. Enlistment is the route DRAP uses for health supplements and nutraceuticals, which are products sold for general health rather than to treat a disease. A registered medicine carries a registration number. An enlisted supplement carries an enlistment number instead. So do not expect to find Axtin in the registered medicines list.
The fake pack has neither, because DRAP says it is not enlisted at all. If a supplement box shows no DRAP number of either kind, treat it with the same caution as a medicine with no registration number, and ask your pharmacist.
Common questions
Which Axtin batch is fake?
Batch AXAF2301, in packs that name Axtin Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon, Haryana, India, as the maker.
Who makes the genuine Axtin?
Scotmann Pharmaceuticals (Health and OTC Division), Islamabad, according to DRAP's alert.
Is all Axtin fake now?
No. DRAP names one fake product with a foreign maker and batch AXAF2301. The genuine Scotmann product is enlisted with DRAP.
What should I do with the fake capsules?
Stop using them, keep the pack and report the seller to DRAP or your provincial drug inspector.
When did DRAP issue the alert?
On 12 November 2026, as Rapid Alert 52, number I/S/11-26-52.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read DRAP's Rapid Alert 52 on Axtin softgels and its PDF on 12 November 2026, from the DRAP Recall Alerts page. We have not seen a genuine or fake pack ourselves, so the comparison above is from the alert's text only.
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.
