February 29, 2008
Secretary of the FCT Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs, Hajia Hauwa Kulu Ibrahim, made the disclosure at a public enlightenment campaign by the task force on the danger of sales and use of fake drugs at Jabi motor park, Utako district of Abuja.
Baxter International, which makes the brand of heparin associated with the problems, and buys supplies from the Chinese plant, announced that it was expanding a recall to include virtually all its heparin products.
February 28, 2008
Due to limited resources, the FDA each year inspects only about 10 percent (300) of foreign facilities that ship drugs and drug ingredients to the United States, said Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Associated Press reported.
Her kneecap was shattered and doctors operated that night. She spent about 10 days in a non-air conditioned hospital room that she shared with dozens of people, some of them smoking. Upon returning to the United States, doctors told her the care she received was outdated and would add to her recovery time.
February 24, 2008
The vast majority of seizures in recent months were individual imports - people buying counterfeit medicines for personal use over the internet.
Congress has vowed to fix the FDA. It plans to boost its funding, which is a good start. But those efforts will be more than undermined if Congress legalizes drug importation, which it may try to do this month. Attempting to screen imported prescription drugs would stretch the FDA's abilities to their breaking point.
February 23, 2008
Making the call at a one-day public enlightenment campaign on the dangers of selling and buying fake drugs held at Utako motor park Abuja, the secretary TFC&FC, Hajiya Hauwa Kulu Ibrahim, stated that fake Paracetamol syrup, killed about 109 children a day in 1991.
February 20, 2008
"Roszdravnadzor has made a rating of domestic and foreign producers by the relative volume of counterfeit products, using an analysis of the counterfeit medicines sold in Russia in 2007," Roszdravnadzor said in a release obtained by Interfax on Wednesday.
Counterfeit medicines are a global problem costing patient's their health and the pharmaceutical industry and governmental organizations millions of dollars per year. Although there is no one preventative strategy, there are several measures that can be employed simultaneously to reduce the risk of fake medicines entering the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Despite laws banning the practice, the government has lost control of the industry and the unregulated drug market continues to expand, with damaging health consequences, fear doctors - and cheating the economy of up to US$4.7 million per year, according to the National Committee of Drug Control (CNLD).
Organized thieves, many of whom operate large-scale operations, sell their stolen goods on Web sites as if they were obtained legally. Pricey items such as infant formula, eye drops and over-the-counter medicines are frequent-theft targets, according to the NRF, a Washington trade group.
February 16, 2008
Because the plant, Changzhou SPL, has no drug certification, China’s drug agency did not inspect it. The United States Food and Drug Administration said this week that it had not inspected the plant either — a violation of its own policy — before allowing the company to become a major supplier of the blood thinner, heparin, to Baxter International in the United States.
February 15, 2008
"The responsibility of combating counterfeits should be the shared among relevant government agencies, manufacturers, distributors, health professionals, consumers and the general public," said World Health Organisation (WHO) representative Moses Chisale.
February 14, 2008
The report was the government’s first effort to offer a precise toll of those killed and disabled in the mass poisoning in 2006. But the head of the agency that prepared the report, Dr. José Vicente Pachar, said the number of victims was bound to be much higher because many in remote areas of the country were unlikely to report their cases to the government.
The aim of the conference, which is sponsored by Pfizer, is for representatives from sub-Saharan countries to discuss threats that counterfeit medicines and unregistered generics pose for the safety of patients in this region and to develop joint plans of action to address the issue.
February 12, 2008
This is among the most tragic examples yet of the dangers of buying medicines over the web. Not that the case has proved much of a deterrent: the online drugs market has since continued to grow and is today estimated to be worth €28bn annually. Popular web-bought drugs include Viagra and Prozac, although there is also a thriving market for Valium, Ritalin (which is used to treat ADHD, but has a transient side effect of suppressing appetite) and Provigil, a narcolepsy treatment popular both with clubbers and stressed office workers because of its reputed rejuvenating powers.
Mr. Emmanuel Thorley explained that it is routine measure taken by the board to discourage unscrupulous business people. He said the drugs ceased and destroyed had no medicinal values, and above all considered dangerous for human consumption.
February 11, 2008
"We are aware the drugs are mainly from China and some have been sent through Hong Kong to different countries. Hong Kong is a free port, making it vulnerable to illicit activities," the source said.
Details of the unique collaboration, made public on Tuesday, highlight the growing threat posed by the trade in counterfeit medicines and the difficulty of tracing the suppliers.
February 10, 2008
For traders manufacturing fake drugs, the profits margins are very high with no apparent risk. These fake drugs are available in popular over the counter medicines like Crocin, Voveran, Betadine, injections of calcium and syrups like Cosavil.
February 07, 2008
Akunyili stated this yesterday while addressing hundreds of African Regulatory Heads and officials who converged at Indaba Conference Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa to share strategies on combating the hydra headed problem of drug counterfeiting in the region.
February 06, 2008
This revelation was made by the state coordinator of the agency, Pharmacist Sabo Adamu while briefing newsmen in his office in Maiduguri. He said the agency is doing everything possible to stamp out the activities of drug peddlers and fake products in the state.
The Department of Health said 10 men have been admitted since December 11. A 53-year-old man died on January 31 in Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
February 04, 2008
According to Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report, government purchased drugs and dressing material worth Rs 17.64 lakhs from March 2003 to August 2005 from six suppliers and supplied it to hospitals without receiving the mandatory test reports, which later on suggested that the medicines were substandard. But by the time the test reports were received, the medicines had already been administered to patients.
The drugs they sell may contain any combination of ingredients, including fillers and toxics. They're made under squalid conditions in the Third World without inspection. There's a good chance they'll make the customer sick, and an excellent chance they won't have the dosage or purity to treat what already ails him.
This point was made on Sunday by David Benjamin, co-chair of the Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy at the Fourth Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy in Dubai.
February 03, 2008
Ahmed Butti Ahmed’s comments came on the sidelines of the 4th Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy, which opened this morning and this year is taking place in Dubai, the first time the gathering was held outside Europe.
Nigeria: Campaign On Danger of Fake Drugs Kicks-Off in Jabi Motor Park
The evil of fake drugs have been described as worse than the combined scourge of malaria, HIV/AIDS and armed robbery put together because they can be prevented or they kill few at a time but fake drugs kill en mass.Secretary of the FCT Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs, Hajia Hauwa Kulu Ibrahim, made the disclosure at a public enlightenment campaign by the task force on the danger of sales and use of fake drugs at Jabi motor park, Utako district of Abuja.
Nasir Imam
29 February 2008
Read the full story at allafrica.com.
Posted by jclass at 12:06 PM
Blood Thinner Might Be Tied to More Deaths
Amid indications that more people may have died or been harmed after being given a brand of the blood thinner heparin, federal drug regulators said Thursday that they had found “potential deficiencies” at a Chinese plant that supplied much of the active ingredient for the drug.Baxter International, which makes the brand of heparin associated with the problems, and buys supplies from the Chinese plant, announced that it was expanding a recall to include virtually all its heparin products.
By WALT BOGDANICH
29 February 2008
Read the full story at nytimes.com.
Posted by jclass at 12:01 PM
FDA Needs More Inspectors to Monitor Foreign Firms, Official Says
More inspectors and a comprehensive computer database are needed to help the U.S. Food and Drug Administration improve its monitoring of foreign-made drugs and drug ingredients entering the United States, an agency official told U.S. lawmakers Wednesday.Due to limited resources, the FDA each year inspects only about 10 percent (300) of foreign facilities that ship drugs and drug ingredients to the United States, said Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Associated Press reported.
28 February 2008
Read the full story at healthday.com.
Posted by jclass at 12:09 PM
Avoid hazards of medical treatment abroad
Orla Buckley was less than a week into her study abroad program in Spain when things went sour. Days after arriving in Seville in May 2003, Buckley, then 19, was walking home from a class during a Scotland vs. Portugal soccer match being played in the city. When Scotland scored, an exuberant fan outside the stadium picked Buckley up by the legs, jumped in celebration and fell -- on Buckley.Her kneecap was shattered and doctors operated that night. She spent about 10 days in a non-air conditioned hospital room that she shared with dozens of people, some of them smoking. Upon returning to the United States, doctors told her the care she received was outdated and would add to her recovery time.
By Debra Alban
28 February 2008
Read the full story at cnn.com.
Posted by jclass at 12:04 PM
Agency issues warning over medicine bought online
Seizures of illegal medicines coming into Ireland have increased fourfold, ac cording to the Irish Medicines Board (IMB). The board’s chief executive, Dr Pat O’Mahony, attributed the increase to greater vigilance by the IMB and customs officials. However, he said the threat posed by illegal medicines arriving from abroad posed a growing challenge to the enforcement agency.The vast majority of seizures in recent months were individual imports - people buying counterfeit medicines for personal use over the internet.
By Susan Mitchell
24 February 2008
Read the full story at sbpost.ie.
Posted by jclass at 06:01 PM
For safety's sake, keep out drug imports
A couple of weeks ago, the Government Accountability Office delivered an alarming message to a congressional panel -- the Food and Drug Administration lacks the resources to ensure the safety of the nation's food, drugs and medical devices.Congress has vowed to fix the FDA. It plans to boost its funding, which is a good start. But those efforts will be more than undermined if Congress legalizes drug importation, which it may try to do this month. Attempting to screen imported prescription drugs would stretch the FDA's abilities to their breaking point.
By PETER PITTS
24 February 2008
Read the full story at pe.com.
Posted by jclass at 03:05 PM
Nigeria: Fake Drugs More Vicious Than HIV/Aids - Task Force
In its determination to eradicate the sale of fake drugs in the country, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Taskforce on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs (TFC&FD) has called on the public to desist from buying drugs from unregistered pharmacists stressing that "fake drugs are more vicious than the scourge of malaria and HIV/AIDS."Making the call at a one-day public enlightenment campaign on the dangers of selling and buying fake drugs held at Utako motor park Abuja, the secretary TFC&FC, Hajiya Hauwa Kulu Ibrahim, stated that fake Paracetamol syrup, killed about 109 children a day in 1991.
23 February 2008
Read the full story at allafrica.com.
Posted by jclass at 06:02 PM
Most counterfeit medicines come to Russia from India, UK - Roszdravnadzo
MOSCOW. Feb 20 (Interfax) - According to the Russian Federal Service on Surveillance in Healthcare and Social Development (Roszdravnadzor), the majority of counterfeit medicine comes to the Russian market from India and the UK."Roszdravnadzor has made a rating of domestic and foreign producers by the relative volume of counterfeit products, using an analysis of the counterfeit medicines sold in Russia in 2007," Roszdravnadzor said in a release obtained by Interfax on Wednesday.
20 February 2008
Read the full story at interfax.com.
Posted by jclass at 06:00 PM
How to Fight against Fake Pharmaceuticals: Learn about New Anti-Counterfeiting Strategies
Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report related to the Pharmaceutical industry is available in its catalogue. It is called, Anti-Counterfeiting Strategies - Combating Fake Pharmaceuticals.Counterfeit medicines are a global problem costing patient's their health and the pharmaceutical industry and governmental organizations millions of dollars per year. Although there is no one preventative strategy, there are several measures that can be employed simultaneously to reduce the risk of fake medicines entering the pharmaceutical supply chain.
20 February 2008
Read the full story at businesswire.com.
Posted by jclass at 05:59 PM
Burkina Faso: Government Inaction Spurs Consumption of Counterfeit Drugs
One in five pharmaceutical drugs bought in Ouagadougou is counterfeit and sold on the street with no prescription and no expiry date, according to the Ministry of Health.Despite laws banning the practice, the government has lost control of the industry and the unregulated drug market continues to expand, with damaging health consequences, fear doctors - and cheating the economy of up to US$4.7 million per year, according to the National Committee of Drug Control (CNLD).
20 February 2008
Read the full story at allafrica.com.
Posted by jclass at 05:00 PM
Web goods can pose health risk
The National Retail Federation is expected to issue a warning today about stolen infant formula and over-the-counter medicines popping up on Internet auction sites. Some of the products pose a risk to consumers because they must be stored at a certain temperature, typically 68 to 77 degrees, to avoid spoiling. Thieves aren't likely to be cautious about things like temperature, the National Retail Federation (NRF) cautions.Organized thieves, many of whom operate large-scale operations, sell their stolen goods on Web sites as if they were obtained legally. Pricey items such as infant formula, eye drops and over-the-counter medicines are frequent-theft targets, according to the NRF, a Washington trade group.
By Jen Haberkorn
20 February 2008
Read the full story at washingtontimes.com.
Posted by jclass at 04:21 PM
China Didn’t Check Drug Supplier, Files Show
A Chinese factory that supplies much of the active ingredient for a brand of a blood thinner that has been linked to four deaths in the United States is not certified by China’s drug regulators to make pharmaceutical products, according to records and interviews.Because the plant, Changzhou SPL, has no drug certification, China’s drug agency did not inspect it. The United States Food and Drug Administration said this week that it had not inspected the plant either — a violation of its own policy — before allowing the company to become a major supplier of the blood thinner, heparin, to Baxter International in the United States.
By WALT BOGDANICH and JAKE HOOKER
16 February 2008
Read the full story at nytimes.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:21 AM
Check The Influx of Counterfeit and Fake Drugs in Ghana
I came across this exchange on a very important national issue which I have written on before and which is still dear to my heart on ghanaweb's Say It Loud Forum and I like bringing it here for the attention of all. Indeed it is the nation's health which is at stake here. The Issue of fake and counterfeit drugs on the market is impacting negatively on the health of our nation and bringing the health services into disrepute. It is absolutely disgusting to learn that those who are entrusted with protecting our health are rather condoning and conniving with fake drug manufacturers, importers and exporters to kill us.
By Ben Ofosu-Appiah
15 February 2008
Read the full story at africanpath.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:19 AM
Kenya: Citizens At Highest Risk of Taking Fake Drugs
Kenyans have been listed among African consumers at highest risk of exposure to counterfeit drugs. Findings of a recent study on the drugs market presented at the ongoing pan-African conference in South Africa indicates that many African governments lack the necessary mechanisms to curb the sale of counterfeit medicines."The responsibility of combating counterfeits should be the shared among relevant government agencies, manufacturers, distributors, health professionals, consumers and the general public," said World Health Organisation (WHO) representative Moses Chisale.
By Kui Kinyanjui
15 February 2008
Read the full story at allafrica.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:18 AM
Panama Releases Report on ’06 Poisoning
Panamanian investigators have concluded that at least 174 people were poisoned, 115 of them fatally, by counterfeit cold medicine linked to an unlicensed Chinese chemical plant. Skip to next paragraphThe report was the government’s first effort to offer a precise toll of those killed and disabled in the mass poisoning in 2006. But the head of the agency that prepared the report, Dr. José Vicente Pachar, said the number of victims was bound to be much higher because many in remote areas of the country were unlikely to report their cases to the government.
By WALT BOGDANICH
14 February 2008
Read the full story at nytimes.com.
Posted by jclass at 05:55 PM
94% of counterfeit drugs come from abroad - official
MOSCOW. Feb 14 (Interfax) - About 60 brands of counterfeit medicines were seized in Russian pharmacies last year, Valentina Kosenko from the Federal Health Care and Social Development Supervisory Service told a Thursday press conference in Moscow.14 February 2008
Read the full story at interfax-news.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:20 AM
African Stakeholders Meet on Counterfeit Drugs
An international conference to discuss counterfeit medicines in Africa, started this week in Johannesburg.The aim of the conference, which is sponsored by Pfizer, is for representatives from sub-Saharan countries to discuss threats that counterfeit medicines and unregistered generics pose for the safety of patients in this region and to develop joint plans of action to address the issue.
14 February 2008
Read the full story at allafrica.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:19 AM
Warning: buying drugs online can seriously damage your health
When the old lady showed up at the A&E ward, it was too late. Doctors at Sunderland's Eye Infirmary discovered massive cataracts in both eyes, tumescent growths that had left the 64-year-old almost completely blind. Far from suffering declining health, though, her loss of vision was completely self-inflicted. The cataracts were caused by steroids, purchased from an online pharmacy in Thailand, which she'd been taking having incorrectly diagnosed herself with chronic fatigue syndrome.This is among the most tragic examples yet of the dangers of buying medicines over the web. Not that the case has proved much of a deterrent: the online drugs market has since continued to grow and is today estimated to be worth €28bn annually. Popular web-bought drugs include Viagra and Prozac, although there is also a thriving market for Valium, Ritalin (which is used to treat ADHD, but has a transient side effect of suppressing appetite) and Provigil, a narcolepsy treatment popular both with clubbers and stressed office workers because of its reputed rejuvenating powers.
By Ed Power
12 February 2008
Read the full story at independent.ie.
Posted by jclass at 11:52 PM
Pharmacy Board Destroys Fake Drugs in Kono Sierra Leone
The Vice Chairman of the Task Force of Pharmacy Board, Kono District branch, Emmanuel Thorley revealed to this press on Friday 8th February 2008 that the board has disposed of counterfeit, substandard and expired drugs amounting to over 35 million leones ceased in that district.Mr. Emmanuel Thorley explained that it is routine measure taken by the board to discourage unscrupulous business people. He said the drugs ceased and destroyed had no medicinal values, and above all considered dangerous for human consumption.
By Lamin A Turay
12 February 2008
Read the full story at news.sl.
Posted by jclass at 11:50 PM
Hong Kong at center of global drugs scam
Hong Kong is at the center of a scam channeling counterfeit drugs from the mainland abroad, according to an industry insider. Counterfeiters have moved from lifestyle drugs including impotence, sleeping and slimming pills and antifungal shampoos to medicines for severe and chronic conditions such as diabetes, cholesterol, and liver and heart problems, a source in the local pharmacy industry revealed."We are aware the drugs are mainly from China and some have been sent through Hong Kong to different countries. Hong Kong is a free port, making it vulnerable to illicit activities," the source said.
By Patsy Moy
11 February 2008
Read the full story at thestandard.com.hk.
Posted by jclass at 11:52 PM
Scientists, police lift lid on fake malaria drugs
LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Scientists and police have exposed a major Asian trade in life-threatening fake malaria drugs, resulting in the seizure of hundreds of thousands of tablets and the arrest of a dealer in southern China.Details of the unique collaboration, made public on Tuesday, highlight the growing threat posed by the trade in counterfeit medicines and the difficulty of tracing the suppliers.
By Ben Hirschler
11 February 2008
Read the full story at reuters.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:47 PM
NCR to have a drug protection authority: Assocham
New Delhi: Sale of fake and spurious drugs in the NCR region to the extent of Rs300 crore annually continues to be unabated, having increased by over 25% in 2006-07, according to a survey carried out by Assocham amongst drug manufacturers.For traders manufacturing fake drugs, the profits margins are very high with no apparent risk. These fake drugs are available in popular over the counter medicines like Crocin, Voveran, Betadine, injections of calcium and syrups like Cosavil.
10 February 2008
Read the full story at livemint.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:51 PM
F-Secure unveils the names the illegal online pharmacy
Seven men are prosecuted in Sweden for running an illegal online pharmacy. These men are accused for running several web shops selling prescription drugs without a prescription. They started operations in 200s3 and generated several million Euros in revenues until they were shut down in 2007. By this time they had sold drugs to 65 different countries.7 February 2008
Read the full story techwhack.com.
Posted by jclass at 03:41 PM
Nigeria: Global Sales of Counterfeit Drugs Hit $32bn
Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Dora Akunyili has stated that global sales of counterfeit drugs estimated at $32billion has dealt a crippling blow of $46billion annual loss to the pharmaceutical industry world wide.Akunyili stated this yesterday while addressing hundreds of African Regulatory Heads and officials who converged at Indaba Conference Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa to share strategies on combating the hydra headed problem of drug counterfeiting in the region.
7 February 2008
Read the full story at allafrica.com.
Posted by jclass at 03:39 PM
Nigeria: 80 Arrested for Fake Drugs in Borno - Nafdac
About 80 people were arrested and fake drugs worth more than N300,000 were confiscated by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) in Borno State last year.This revelation was made by the state coordinator of the agency, Pharmacist Sabo Adamu while briefing newsmen in his office in Maiduguri. He said the agency is doing everything possible to stamp out the activities of drug peddlers and fake products in the state.
6 February 2008
Read the full story at allafrica.com.
Posted by jclass at 03:38 PM
Alarm over killer impotence drugs
One man has died and nine others have been admitted to hospital - one in critical condition - after they were believed to have taken impotence drugs which were fake or contained unregistered medicines.The Department of Health said 10 men have been admitted since December 11. A 53-year-old man died on January 31 in Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
By Nickkita Lau and Patsy Moy
6 February 2008
Read the full story at thestandard.com.hk.
Posted by jclass at 03:36 PM
Spurious drugs in hospitals CAG castigates govt
Srinagar, Feb 4: Think before you purchase medicines from drug stores in government hospitals as the drugs can be of sub-standard quality.According to Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report, government purchased drugs and dressing material worth Rs 17.64 lakhs from March 2003 to August 2005 from six suppliers and supplied it to hospitals without receiving the mandatory test reports, which later on suggested that the medicines were substandard. But by the time the test reports were received, the medicines had already been administered to patients.
4 February 2008
Read the full story at greaterkashmir.com.
Posted by jclass at 03:40 PM
Bogus medicine menace demands strong Rx
They can mass-produce pills that look for the world like the erectile aid Cialis or the anti-psychotic Zyprexa, slick packaging included. They can advertise on state-of-the-art Web sites with official-looking logos of government approval and other assurances of "authenticity."The drugs they sell may contain any combination of ingredients, including fillers and toxics. They're made under squalid conditions in the Third World without inspection. There's a good chance they'll make the customer sick, and an excellent chance they won't have the dosage or purity to treat what already ails him.
4 February 2008
Read the full story at indystar.com.
Posted by jclass at 03:37 PM
Officials lack motivation to fight counterfeiting
Dubai: Counterfeiting remains a growing problem in various economies today because government officials are not motivated enough to wage an all-out war against it.This point was made on Sunday by David Benjamin, co-chair of the Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy at the Fourth Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy in Dubai.
By Cleofe Maceda
4 February 2008
Read the full story at gulfnews.com.
Posted by jclass at 03:36 PM
Dubai Customs Executives Lead International Discussion on Fighting Piracy and Counterfeiting
Dubai’s record of accomplishment in fighting piracy and combating counterfeiting is among the best in the world, according to its director general.Ahmed Butti Ahmed’s comments came on the sidelines of the 4th Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy, which opened this morning and this year is taking place in Dubai, the first time the gathering was held outside Europe.
3 February 2008
Read the full story at albawaba.com.
Posted by jclass at 03:35 PM