Archive for 2010
TB Epidemic Raises Awareness of Fake Medicine in Tanzania
Awareness of the problem of counterfeit drugs is on the rise in East Africa, according to Tanzania’s The Citizen. Starting in 2008, Interpol and the World Health Organization have collaborated on the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force (IMPACT), a series of anti-counterfeiting raids in Tanzania and Uganda. The news source reports that approximately 20 percent…
[...]Silva N. Tacking the Booming Trade in Counterfeit Drugs. Lancet. 2010;376(9754):1725-6
The black market in counterfeit drugs is worth billions, but it does untold damage to the health of the poorest populations. Nayanah Siva reports on international efforts to tackle the problem. Tackling the Booming Trade in Counterfeit Drugs
[...]Russian Man Accused of Running Online Pharmacy Promoter Claims Innocence
The Russian man accused of running a website responsible for a large percentage of the world’s online pharmacy spam has claimed his innocence, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Igor Gusev, 31, is the subject of an ongoing investigation by Russian authorities who believe he was responsible for paying spammers to advertise online pharmacies that sold erectile…
[...]Zambian Pharmacist Calls on Government to Empower Regulatory Agency
A Zambian pharmacist has called on the government to empower the agency in charge of issues relating to counterfeit drugs in the country, reports the Zambia Post. “The Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency needs to be equipped properly. It is a professional body that works very hard to check on the quality of medicines the Zambian patients consume.…
[...]U.S. Food and Drug Administration Sends Warning Letter to Illegitimate Online Pharmacy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent a warning letter to an online pharmacy accused of selling controlled and unapproved substances in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), according to a press release. The pharmacy, Rx-promotion, reportedly operates nearly 300 internet domain names, through which it sells and dispenses medications with…
[...]Personal Computers Hijacked for Online Pharmacy Promotions
Online pharmaceutical spam organization, Spamit.com, has been implicated in the use of Bredolab, a botnet that hijacked personal computers to use to spread spam. KrebsOnSecurity reported that Georg Avanesov, age 27, was arrested by Armenian police on suspicion of being the curator of Bredolab, a botnet that has infected approximately 3 million computers a month.…
[...]Malaria Report: New Strains, New Treatments, New Counterfeits
Three new studies highlight the hopes and fears of parents across the globe.
A new study conducted by Dr. Nicholas White of Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand shows a significant reduction in mortality and gives hope for children with severe malaria.
Meanwhile a study from the U.S. Agency for International Development details the pervasive infiltration of ineffective counterfeit malarial drugs.
And another study by researchers of malaria in Indonesia has found a new genetic mutation in the disease.
[...]Ghana Infant Surrounded by Protective Malaria Bed Net
Infant surrounded by protective malaria bed net. Ghana. Photo: © Arne Hoel/The World Bank Photo courtesy of The World Bank, via Flickr.
[...]India High Court Rules Malarial Drug Test Kits are Pharmaceutical Products
In Chennai, India, the Madras high court rules that malaria testing kits are pharmaceutical products, subject to the Drugs and Cosmetics Acts. It has ordered a detailed probe into the sale of fake malaria detection kits to city hospitals, and has asked the central and state governments to launch a campaign to spread awareness about…
[...]Nigeria Reactivates Counterfeit Drug Task Forces
The recent raid in Lagos that saw the closure of more than 1,000 counterfeit drug shops, has spurred Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to reactivate the Federal Task Force on fake and counterfeit drugs. Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, made the announcement in a recent speech delivered…
[...]