Archive for April 2008
US FDA Officials Ask for Resources, Authorities to Improve Drug Safety
Officials of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say Congress must provide them with more resources and authorities to ensure the safety of imported drugs. A congressional hearing Tuesday included dramatic testimony by family members of people whose deaths are thought to have been caused by contaminated doses of the medication Heparin. More from…
[...]Thevis M, Schrader Y, Thomas A, Sigmund G, Geyer H, Schanzer W. Analysis of confiscated black market drugs using chromatographic and mass spectrometric approaches. J Anal Toxicol. 2008;32(3):232-240.
In the context of house searches in Germany, numerous drugs were confiscated and subjected to chemical analysis, including anabolic agents such as various anabolic-androgenic steroids (stanozolol, testosterone derivatives, trenbolone esters, etc.) and clenbuterol, as well as agents with anti-estrogenic activity (tamoxifen, clomiphene), drugs stimulating virility (sildenafil, tadalafil), and unlabeled plastic bags. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry,…
[...]Ghana: Media Launch of Short Film
The Goethe-Institut and Pedigree last week Thursday, 17th of April, 2008 launched a short film to kickstart a campaign, against the circulation of fake drugs on the Ghanaian market. The event, held at the inner court of the Goethe-Institut premises at Cantonments, attracted practitioners from the media, diplomats, representatives of civil society, notably the Christian…
[...]New Zealand authorities warn against buying drugs on internet
Wellington – New Zealand health officials warned Thursday against buying medicines on the internet, saying subquality or counterfeit drugs for erectile dysfunction had been intercepted entering the country from India, China and Thailand. Stephen McKernan, the director general of health, issued a specific warning about four products illegally promoted in Singapore for treating erectile dysfunction…
[...]New Data Link Heparin Deaths to Chinese Batches, FDA Says
Food and Drug Administration officials said yesterday they have new evidence that links hundreds of serious adverse reactions and scores of deaths among patients given the blood thinner heparin to a man-made contaminant introduced during production in China. Janet Woodcock, director of the agency's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said that the contaminant has…
[...]Fake Drugs Scam is Frightening
A EURO MP has welcomed moves to protect people from a multi-billion pound counterfeit drugs industry which is feared to kill half a million people each year. Criminals are plying people suffering from cancer and heart disease as well as psychiatric illnesses with fake medicine which is virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. 18 April…
[...]Heparin Update: 62 Suspected U.S. Fatalities, 2 Upcoming Hearings
The heparin fallout continues. As an update to our March 13 post, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now reports 62, not 19, suspicious deaths in the United States linked to the blood thinner heparin, most of which occurred in December, January and February. According to an article in the New York Times, investigations continue into whether the deaths were caused by the Chinese contaminant.
[...]Illicit: The Dark Trade
The Partnership for Safe Medicines urges you to watch the groundbreaking film, Illicit: The Dark Trade, premiering nationwide tonight on PBS. Based on the best-selling book by Dr. Moiss Nam, Illicit exposes the staggering impact counterfeiting and piracy has on the world economy, jobs, and consumer health and safety.
[...]Unified Efforts Needed to Combat Counterfeited Medicines in Jordan
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…
[...]Sale of counterfeit drugs and out of date pharmaceuticals in 2007 was NIS 100-130 million
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…
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