July 31, 2008
Zheng Cheng Zi, director of the Xinkhai pharmaceutical trading company at 122 Vinh Tuy, Hoang Mai district, Hanoi, combined with three Vietnamese to transport fake Augmentin from China’s Guangzhou to Hanoi.
Counterfeiting can apply to both branded and generic products, with counterfeit products including drugs with the correct ingredients or with the wrong ingredients; without active ingredients, with insufficient active ingredient or with fake packaging.
July 30, 2008
Rana J. Hunter, 60, was arrested Friday at her Marina Del Rey apartment by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) agents. According to the affidavit filed in the case, Hunter operated a business called Westgate Distributors which offered HGH, Botulinum toxin type A, marketed under the Allergan brand name Botox, and "generic" Restylane for sale over the Internet.
July 29, 2008
The JFDA urged citizens to only obtain enhancers prescribed by physicians. "In principle, sexual enhancers should only be sold by prescription, but some pharmacies sell them to the general public," JFDA Director General Mohammad Rawashdeh told The Jordan Times yesterday.
July 28, 2008
JOHOR BARU: About RM150,000 worth of unregistered and unlicensed medicines, including traditional medicines and sex stimulants, were seized following a two-day operation by the State Health Department in the city.
Acting on a tip off, department officers raided various premises selling modern medicines, traditional medicines and cosmetics in Pasar Borong Pandan recently.
July 27, 2008
GURGAON/ NEW DELHI: Haryana health department officials seized counterfeit quinolone antibiotic tablets over Rs 20 lakh from a pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Gurgaon on Friday evening. According to department officials, the samples of the medicine failed in the tests conducted during the first week of this month and around two lakh tablets were confiscated from the company premises in Udyog Vihar-II.
NEW DELHI : Police have seized over 7 lakh pain-relieving tablets from a Solan-based Varsha Pharmaceuticals for manufacturing look alike copies of Piramal Healthcare’s (formerly Nicholas Piramal) popular medicine Saridon.
According to sources, the police and an intellectual property enforcement firm, engaged by Piramal Healthcare, jointly raided the company in Solan (Himachal Pradesh) on Friday.
July 26, 2008
The regulator, mandated to look after safety, efficacy of drugs and give marketing approval, plans to cover 61 popular brands of medicines used in nine therapeutic categories including diabetes, tuberculosis and cardiovascular diseases through the study.
July 25, 2008
Columbia University's five-year study, which has been documented annually in a report called "You've Got Drugs! Prescription Drug Pushers on the Internet," was conducted by Columbia staff members over a period of 210 hours in the first quarter of every year.
July 23, 2008
She spoke Tuesday in Abuja at an interactive meeting between NAFDAC and state Directors of Pharmaceutical Services.
July 22, 2008
The main thrust of the dialogue is to ascertain concerns raised about the way certain persons produce counterfeit medicines, cosmetics and medical devices for consumption which adversely affect the health of consumers. The two-day dialogue seeks to facilitate the identification of counterfeit products and to minimise the risk and exposure of consumers to such products.
July 21, 2008
Since an inspection by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) at the Paonta Sahib plant in February 2006, there has been a drawn-out battle for extra information, triggering raids and subpoenas last year from the Department of Justice.
July 17, 2008
July 15, 2008
July 15 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. should do more to combat counterfeit medicines and protect intellectual property rights, said Jeffrey Kindler, the chief executive officer of Pfizer Inc., the world's largest drugmaker.
The government should hold the ``worst offenders'' accountable and needs more funding to do so, Kindler said at a Senate hearing today.
July 14, 2008
Ranbaxy depends on the US market for 25 percent of its sales and the ongoing investigation is expected to sully its image in the market. Ranbaxy had global sales of $1.61 billion last year, including $386 million in the US.
July 13, 2008
A just-released report found 85 percent of Web sites selling controlled substances do not require a prescription or doctor's exam. That's an open invitation to abuse. It's also a recipe for disaster as a growing number of people, particularly minors, turn to the Internet to feed addictions or buy drugs to get high.
July 09, 2008
Drugs offered online include generic versions of opiates like OxyContin, methadone and Vicodin, which are legitimately prescribed as painkillers; benzodiazepines like Xanax and Valium, which are prescribed for anxiety; and stimulants like Ritalin.
Powerful pain killers like morphine and oxycodone, and stimulants such as amphetamine, are among the so-called controlled substances regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency because of their high potential for abuse and addiction. But findings by Columbia University researchers highlight how easily those narcotics and stimulants can be purchased online.
The wiser among us delete them instantly. But some people are taken in. Those who can't afford to pay the full price, or who simply imagine that they can save a few bucks order these medicines from Internet hawkers.
July 03, 2008
Piribo, the online destination for business intelligence for the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, has now added a report offering a comprehensive guidance to the issues concerning pharmaceutical counterfeiting which is estimated to affect up to 10% of all drugs.
July 02, 2008
Counterfeit brand cigarettes, clothes and CDs are not the only items being targetted by Czech customs: more and more counterfeit medicines are a growing risk. On Tuesday, customs officers destroyed a tonne of counterfeit medicines in Kralupy nad Vlatvou, north of Prague - products intended for the Czech market. Officials, using X-rays to monitor incoming packages uncovered what was estimated as a million pills and tablets, most often sent from China, India or Hong Kong. Products included fake medicines such as Viagra and Cialis, normally only available at pharmacies on the basis of a doctor’s prescription. But while patients unwilling to consult their doctor or hoping to pay less may think they’re getting a good deal by buying over the internet, specialists say “far from it”.
If you're caught with 100 or more counterfeit items worth $200 or more, you face the prospect of a felony conviction, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years.
Police battle counterfeit drugs
The Hanoi Police Agency has recently reported to Interpol Vietnam on a counterfeit drug-producing case involving a Chinese citizen.Zheng Cheng Zi, director of the Xinkhai pharmaceutical trading company at 122 Vinh Tuy, Hoang Mai district, Hanoi, combined with three Vietnamese to transport fake Augmentin from China’s Guangzhou to Hanoi.
31 July 2008
Read the full story at vietnamnet.vn.
Posted by jclass at 01:35 AM
A Counter To Counterfeit Drugs
The counterfeiting of medicines has been known of since around 1990 and is a growing problem—in both developing and developed countries. Counterfeit medicines are estimated as more than 10% of the global medicines market and in some developing countries it is thought to be as high as 50%. One prediction is that global counterfeit drug sales will reach $75 billion by 2010.Counterfeiting can apply to both branded and generic products, with counterfeit products including drugs with the correct ingredients or with the wrong ingredients; without active ingredients, with insufficient active ingredient or with fake packaging.
31 July 2008
Read the full story at sciencedaily.com.
Posted by jclass at 01:35 AM
Los Angeles woman arrested after allegedly selling Human Growth Hormone and counterfeit Botox over the Internet
LOS ANGELES - A woman from Marina Del Rey, Calif., appeared in federal court here yesterday afternoon on a criminal complaint stemming from her alleged role in a scheme to sell Human Growth Hormone ( HGH ), counterfeit Botox, and "generic" Restylane over the Internet to spas across the country.Rana J. Hunter, 60, was arrested Friday at her Marina Del Rey apartment by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) agents. According to the affidavit filed in the case, Hunter operated a business called Westgate Distributors which offered HGH, Botulinum toxin type A, marketed under the Allergan brand name Botox, and "generic" Restylane for sale over the Internet.
30 July 2008
Read the full story at media-newswire.com.
Posted by jclass at 01:37 AM
Fake pharmacies swallow bitter pill
Two hundred private pharmacies selling expired and banned drugs were nabbed by the special unit of the National Drug Control Authority during a single day countrywide raid. These pharmacies had sold drugs without prescriptions and they did not have qualified and trained pharmacists, Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry sources said.
Nadira Gunatilleke
29 July 2008
Read the full story at dailynews.lk.
Posted by jclass at 02:34 PM
JFDA warns of potentially deadly sexual peformance enhancers
AMMAN - The Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) issued a warning on Monday concerning the use of illegal sexual performance enhancers, cautioning that the drugs may contain toxic materials that could lead to death.The JFDA urged citizens to only obtain enhancers prescribed by physicians. "In principle, sexual enhancers should only be sold by prescription, but some pharmacies sell them to the general public," JFDA Director General Mohammad Rawashdeh told The Jordan Times yesterday.
By Mohammad Ghazal
29 July 2008
Read the full story at jordantimes.com.
Posted by jclass at 02:32 PM
Paraguay is Feeding Brazil with Cheap Counterfeit Drugs, Says Brazilian Anti-Counterfeit Body
An increasing number of Brazilians are acquiring medicines in neighbouring Paraguay where drugs are cheaper, reports newspaperGazeta do Povo. In 2007, the phenomenon led to a 68.9% year-on-year increase in drug seizures at the Brazilian-Paraguayan border. The seizures were estimated to be worth 298.6 Brazilian real ($189US.8 million). The most common drugs seized are erectile dysfunction and obesity medicines, steroids and abortion pills. The illegal importations are often counterfeits as 90% of counterfeited drugs present in Brazil make their way onto the domestic market through the Paraguayan border.
By Gaelle Marinoni
29 July 2008
Global Insight
Posted by jclass at 02:31 PM
Raid on Counterfeit Drugs
The proliferation of counterfeit drugs on the global market and easy availability via online pharmacies is an increasing problem. The makers of counterfeit drugs have enjoyed and profited from loopholes in a system designed to deliver healthy medicines to those in need. The rising cost of prescription medications and the ubiquitous presence of online and overseas pharmacies means more people than ever are threatened by these counterfeiting operations.JOHOR BARU: About RM150,000 worth of unregistered and unlicensed medicines, including traditional medicines and sex stimulants, were seized following a two-day operation by the State Health Department in the city.
Acting on a tip off, department officers raided various premises selling modern medicines, traditional medicines and cosmetics in Pasar Borong Pandan recently.
By FARIK ZOLKEPLI
28 July 2008
Read the full story at thestar.com.my.
Posted by jclass at 02:36 PM
Counterfeit antibiotic drugs worth Rs 20L seized
The proliferation of counterfeit drugs on the global market and easy availability via online pharmacies is an increasing problem. The makers of counterfeit drugs have enjoyed and profited from loopholes in a system designed to deliver healthy medicines to those in need. The rising cost of prescription medications and the ubiquitous presence of online and overseas pharmacies means more people than ever are threatened by these counterfeiting operations.GURGAON/ NEW DELHI: Haryana health department officials seized counterfeit quinolone antibiotic tablets over Rs 20 lakh from a pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Gurgaon on Friday evening. According to department officials, the samples of the medicine failed in the tests conducted during the first week of this month and around two lakh tablets were confiscated from the company premises in Udyog Vihar-II.
27 July 2008
Read the full story at timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
Posted by jclass at 02:33 PM
Police seize 7 lakh fake Saridon tablets from Solan-based co
The proliferation of counterfeit drugs on the global market and easy availability via online pharmacies is an increasing problem. The makers of counterfeit drugs have enjoyed and profited from loopholes in a system designed to deliver healthy medicines to those in need. The rising cost of prescription medications and the ubiquitous presence of online and overseas pharmacies means more people than ever are threatened by these counterfeiting operations.NEW DELHI : Police have seized over 7 lakh pain-relieving tablets from a Solan-based Varsha Pharmaceuticals for manufacturing look alike copies of Piramal Healthcare’s (formerly Nicholas Piramal) popular medicine Saridon.
According to sources, the police and an intellectual property enforcement firm, engaged by Piramal Healthcare, jointly raided the company in Solan (Himachal Pradesh) on Friday.
27 July 2008
Read the full story at economictimes.indiatimes.com.
Posted by jclass at 02:29 PM
DCGI plans survey to detect counterfeit drugs
NEW DELHI: The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) is planning a survey to detect the quantum of spurious and substandard drugs being sold to unsuspecting customers.The regulator, mandated to look after safety, efficacy of drugs and give marketing approval, plans to cover 61 popular brands of medicines used in nine therapeutic categories including diabetes, tuberculosis and cardiovascular diseases through the study.
By Sushmi Dey
26 July 2008
Read the full story at economictimes.indiatimes.com.
Posted by jclass at 02:30 PM
Prescription Drugs Found Online, Abused by Teens
A Columbia University study has shown that prescription drugs can be easily bought on the Internet, while another study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America indicates that many teens are abusing them.Columbia University's five-year study, which has been documented annually in a report called "You've Got Drugs! Prescription Drug Pushers on the Internet," was conducted by Columbia staff members over a period of 210 hours in the first quarter of every year.
By Michael C. Juliano
25 July 2008
Read the full story at westport-news.com.
Posted by jclass at 02:36 PM
How to ensure quality drugs–Akunyili
Prof. Dora Akunyili, NAFDAC Director-General, says good distribution systems are imperative in ensuring the quality and identity of pharmaceutical products.She spoke Tuesday in Abuja at an interactive meeting between NAFDAC and state Directors of Pharmaceutical Services.
23 July 2008
Read the full story at thetidenews.com.
Posted by jclass at 01:08 PM
W. African States To Check Counterfeiting
A national dialogue to serve as a platform for discussing strategies to overcome counterfeiting and piracy of products in West Africa, opened in Accra yesterday. It is under the theme: "Protecting the consumer against counterfeit products through inter-agency and sub-regional collaboration".The main thrust of the dialogue is to ascertain concerns raised about the way certain persons produce counterfeit medicines, cosmetics and medical devices for consumption which adversely affect the health of consumers. The two-day dialogue seeks to facilitate the identification of counterfeit products and to minimise the risk and exposure of consumers to such products.
22 July 2008
Read the full story at peacefmonline.com.
Posted by jclass at 01:07 PM
Ranbaxy probe highlights medical issues
When US regulators raised concerns during their visit to a factory operated by Ranbaxy, the Indian generic drugs group, no one involved imagined that their inquiry would last so long, become so public or raise the stakes so high.Since an inspection by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) at the Paonta Sahib plant in February 2006, there has been a drawn-out battle for extra information, triggering raids and subpoenas last year from the Department of Justice.
By Andrew Jack
21 July 2008
Read the full story at ft.com.
Posted by jclass at 01:09 PM
Defendant Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Trafficking in More Than $400,000 Worth of Counterfeit Drugs
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Iyad Dogmosh, a Jordanian national, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for trafficking in more than 38,000 counterfeit Viagra tablets, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein for the District of Maryland announced. U.S. District Judge Frederick Motz of the District of Maryland also sentenced Dogmosh, 27, to pay a $200 special assessment. The defendant's term of imprisonment will be followed by his deportation.17 July 2008
Read the full story at marketwatch.com.
Posted by jclass at 02:33 PM
Fake drugs: NAFDAC quizzes Indian firm’s MD
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has begun the interrogation of the Managing Director of a Lagos-based company, Food and Pharma Limited, Mr. Nitin Kantilal, over the alleged importation of a fake anti-diarrhoeal drug, Maxcure Loperamide capsules.
By Niyi Odebode
17 July 2008
Read the full story at punchng.com.
Posted by jclass at 09:42 AM
Fake Drugs Require More U.S. Policing, Pfizer's Kindler Says
The proliferation of counterfeit drugs on the global market and easy availability via online pharmacies is an increasing problem. The makers of counterfeit drugs have enjoyed and profited from loopholes in a system designed to deliver healthy medicines to those in need. The rising cost of prescription medications and the ubiquitous presence of online and overseas pharmacies means more people than ever are threatened by these counterfeiting operations.July 15 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. should do more to combat counterfeit medicines and protect intellectual property rights, said Jeffrey Kindler, the chief executive officer of Pfizer Inc., the world's largest drugmaker.
The government should hold the ``worst offenders'' accountable and needs more funding to do so, Kindler said at a Senate hearing today.
By Justin Blum
15 July 2008
Read the full story at bloomberg.com.
Posted by jclass at 01:05 PM
US FDA accuses Ranbaxy Laboratories of fraud, concealment and selling substandard drugs
The United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) has accused India's largest generics drug maker, Ranbaxy Laboratories, of forging and concealing documents relating to an investigation into the quality of the company's drugs sold in the US market and has filed a motion in the district court of Maryland seeking documents from the Indian firm.Ranbaxy depends on the US market for 25 percent of its sales and the ongoing investigation is expected to sully its image in the market. Ranbaxy had global sales of $1.61 billion last year, including $386 million in the US.
By Sakshi Ganguli
14 July 2008
Read the full story at ibtimes.com.
Posted by jclass at 01:04 PM
A prescription for strong medicine
The Internet is increasingly used as a virtual stand-in for the street-corner drug dealer. Highly addictive medications are just a mouse click away as rogue pharmacies take up residence online and are willing to supply drugs to anyone with a credit card.A just-released report found 85 percent of Web sites selling controlled substances do not require a prescription or doctor's exam. That's an open invitation to abuse. It's also a recipe for disaster as a growing number of people, particularly minors, turn to the Internet to feed addictions or buy drugs to get high.
13 July 2008
Read the full story at mlive.com.
Posted by jclass at 01:06 PM
Most drug Web sites breaking federal law
A large majority of 365 Internet sites that advertise or sell controlled medications by mail are offering to supply the drugs without a proper prescription, according to a new study. The online trade is stoking the rising abuse of addictive and dangerous prescription drugs, the authors and federal officials say.Drugs offered online include generic versions of opiates like OxyContin, methadone and Vicodin, which are legitimately prescribed as painkillers; benzodiazepines like Xanax and Valium, which are prescribed for anxiety; and stimulants like Ritalin.
By Erik Eckholm
09 July 2008
Read the full story at sfgate.com.
Posted by jclass at 01:03 PM
Study finds addictive drugs easily ordered online
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than three-quarters of Web sites that offer highly addictive medications do not require a prescription, according to a study released Wednesday.Powerful pain killers like morphine and oxycodone, and stimulants such as amphetamine, are among the so-called controlled substances regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency because of their high potential for abuse and addiction. But findings by Columbia University researchers highlight how easily those narcotics and stimulants can be purchased online.
By MATTHEW PERRONE
9 July 2008
Read the full story at ap.google.com.
Posted by jclass at 09:43 AM
A Spreading Danger
We've all received those ubiquitous e-mails, though mercifully, most these days are caught by our spam filters. E-mails offering expensive drugs at hard-to-beat prices are everywhere - drugs against cholesterol, blood pressure, arthritis and baldness, always bearing familiar brand names like Lipitor, Celebrex and, inevitably, Viagra.The wiser among us delete them instantly. But some people are taken in. Those who can't afford to pay the full price, or who simply imagine that they can save a few bucks order these medicines from Internet hawkers.
By Shashi Tharoor
9 July 2008
Read the full story at iht.com.
Posted by jclass at 09:41 AM
New Report Highlights Concern Over Growing Problem of Counterfeit Drugs in the EU
The proliferation of counterfeit drugs on the global market and easy availability via online pharmacies is an increasing problem. The makers of counterfeit drugs have enjoyed and profited from loopholes in a system designed to deliver healthy medicines to those in need. The rising cost of prescription medications and the ubiquitous presence of online and overseas pharmacies means more people than ever are threatened by these counterfeiting operations.Piribo, the online destination for business intelligence for the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, has now added a report offering a comprehensive guidance to the issues concerning pharmaceutical counterfeiting which is estimated to affect up to 10% of all drugs.
03 July 2008
Read the full story at prlog.org.
Posted by jclass at 01:02 PM
Customs officers destroy tonne of fake-brand medicines
The proliferation of counterfeit drugs on the global market and easy availability via online pharmacies is an increasing problem. The makers of counterfeit drugs have enjoyed and profited from loopholes in a system designed to deliver healthy medicines to those in need. The rising cost of prescription medications and the ubiquitous presence of online and overseas pharmacies means more people than ever are threatened by these counterfeiting operations.Counterfeit brand cigarettes, clothes and CDs are not the only items being targetted by Czech customs: more and more counterfeit medicines are a growing risk. On Tuesday, customs officers destroyed a tonne of counterfeit medicines in Kralupy nad Vlatvou, north of Prague - products intended for the Czech market. Officials, using X-rays to monitor incoming packages uncovered what was estimated as a million pills and tablets, most often sent from China, India or Hong Kong. Products included fake medicines such as Viagra and Cialis, normally only available at pharmacies on the basis of a doctor’s prescription. But while patients unwilling to consult their doctor or hoping to pay less may think they’re getting a good deal by buying over the internet, specialists say “far from it”.
Jan Velinger
02 July 2008
Read the full story at radio.cz.
Posted by jclass at 01:01 PM
Virginia cracks down on counterfeiters
WASHINGTON - It's not exactly Elliot Ness and "The Untouchables," but Virginia is now much tougher on counterfeiters.If you're caught with 100 or more counterfeit items worth $200 or more, you face the prospect of a felony conviction, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years.
By Hank Silverberg
2 July 2008
Read the full story at wtop.com.
Posted by jclass at 03:01 AM