DRAP Warns Nasomet Nasal Spray Batch FW-099 Is Fake: No Mometasone Found

Short answer: On 19 October 2026 the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) warned that Nasomet Aqueous Nasal Spray batch FW-099 is fake. A government lab in Karachi found no mometasone furoate, the medicine the label claims, in a sample. The named maker, Sante, says the batch is not theirs.

A nasal spray with no medicine in it will not hurt you the way a poison would. But it will not treat you either. A patient may keep spraying for weeks, think the medicine has failed, and switch to something stronger without need.

We read DRAP's rapid alert on its website and the signed PDF on 20 October 2026. Below is what the alert says, how to check your bottle and what to do if it matches.

DRAP says Nasomet batch FW-099 has no active ingredient

DRAP's alert No. I/S/10-26-40 names one product and one batch: Nasomet Aqueous Nasal Spray, mometasone furoate 50 mcg per spray, registration number 108661, batch FW-099. The Central Drugs Laboratory in Karachi tested it and could not find mometasone furoate.

Only batch FW-099 is named. The alert does not say other Nasomet batches are fake, and genuine Nasomet stays registered. The problem is a bottle that copies the real one.

The maker named on the label says the bottle is not theirs

The sample reached the lab because the Area Federal Inspector of Drugs in Karachi suspected it was fake. Sante (Private) Limited, whose name is on the label, told DRAP the sample does not belong to it and did not come from its plant.

That is why the alert uses the word spurious. Under the Drugs Act, 1976, a spurious drug includes one that claims to be the product of a maker when it is not. It also includes one that claims to be a medicine but has none of the active ingredient. This bottle fits both.

The alert says the lab's finding was made under section 3(z-b)(ii) of the Act, the "not truly a product of that maker" part. We read the definition in the copy of the Drugs Act that DRAP publishes on its own website.

A fake steroid spray can mean weeks of treatment that does nothing

DRAP's risk statement is short. Using this product may cause treatment failure, because the declared medicine is missing, and it may pose other risks to patient safety. A fake product also has no tested content, so nobody knows what is in it.

Mometasone is a steroid spray that doctors prescribe for nose symptoms such as a blocked or runny nose. If yours seems to have stopped working, a fake bottle is one possible reason. It is worth checking the batch before deciding the medicine itself has failed.

If allergy symptoms keep coming back, a doctor may also suggest finding the cause. The NIH Allergy Centre in Islamabad runs skin prick tests for that.

Check the batch number on your bottle and box

Look for the batch number on the box and on the bottle label, often printed as "B. No." next to the expiry date. If it reads FW-099, stop using the spray. Keep the bottle and box, because they help DRAP trace where the fake came from.

1. Find the batch number on the box. It sits near the manufacturing and expiry dates.
2. Check the same number on the bottle itself, in case the box and bottle do not match.
3. If either says FW-099, stop using it and put it aside with the box.
4. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist about a genuine replacement.
5. Tell the shop where you bought it, and report the product to DRAP.
6. If you had any reaction while using it, mention the batch when you see a doctor.

DRAP also asks people to buy medicines only from licensed pharmacies and to check the condition of every pack. In Punjab you can check a pharmacy's drug sale licence before you buy.

Inspectors will seize fake stock across the supply chain

DRAP has told its own field force and the provincial drug control departments to search the supply chain and confiscate the fake product. Doctors and pharmacists are asked to watch for it and report any problem to the national or provincial pharmacovigilance centres.

If you think you have found another fake batch, or a shop is still selling FW-099, you can report it. The steps for a fake medicine report are in our report on how to report counterfeit medicine to DRAP. Take a clear photo of the box, the batch number and the receipt first.

Common questions

Is all Nasomet nasal spray fake?

No. DRAP's alert names one batch, FW-099. Other batches are not named. Check the number on your box and bottle.

What did the lab find in Nasomet batch FW-099?

The Central Drugs Laboratory in Karachi could not find mometasone furoate, the medicine the label claims. DRAP declared the sample spurious or falsified.

Is the fake Nasomet dangerous?

DRAP says it may cause treatment failure and may pose other risks to safety. Its real content is unknown, so stop using it and ask your doctor.

Who makes the real Nasomet?

The label names Sante (Private) Limited of SITE Superhighway, Karachi. Sante told DRAP the FW-099 sample did not come from it.

Where do I report a fake nasal spray?

Report it to DRAP and tell the pharmacy that sold it. DRAP's email on the alert is gsms@dra.gov.pk and its Islamabad number is 051 9255969.

Can I use my spray until I get a new one?

Not if it is batch FW-099. DRAP tells consumers not to use it. Ask your doctor or pharmacist what to use meanwhile.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read DRAP's rapid alert 40 page and its signed PDF, both dated 19 October 2026, on 20 October 2026. We read the definition of a spurious drug in the Drugs Act, 1976 copy on dra.gov.pk the same day. We could not find out where the fake bottles were sold, how many were found or whether anyone was harmed, because the alert does not say.